The River of Fire
by Demiser of D
Summary: A new group of soul reapers graduate, but are assigned to the hundreds of years defunct 14th squad(now reserved for useless incompetents and harmless traitors). They all have secrets, and few are what they at first appear to be. Perhaps jokingly assigning them all the rank of captain wasn't the best idea after all...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**_  
><em>

_Seconds after the casting of Forbidden Kido__ 96:_ _Ittō Kasō__ by Commander-General Yamamoto._

* * *

><p>Aizen paused as he neared the edge of the scorching conflagration, tilting his head back towards his defeated opponent. "Hmm?"<p>

The words rang forth, ringing with a power that only the most powerful of kido masters could produce:** "Forbidden Kido: Halt Time."**

All movement around them stopped, encased in a faint glow. Turning back to his opponent, Aizen smiled faintly, "You still have the power to fight? You have truly exceeded all my expectations, Commander."

Yamamoto breathed heavily as he struggled to his feet, but anger did not enter his expression. "Combat is impossible in this place, outside of time."

Tilting his head slightly to the side, Aizen pondered the statement, "Then what could you hope to achieve? If 'Outside of Time', as you say, nothing can effect that which takes place 'within time'. Perhaps you think to simply out-wait me? Hope that perhaps I will age and die as we remain here? You have lived for 2000 years, General. I shall live for far longer than that."

"Silence, insolent pup!" The general barked, glaring at the former captain, "All that has taken place has served a specific purpose. It led you to this specific moment. There was no other way to make you understand the truth of what it is you are attempting."

Aizen chuckled mildly, "Perhaps I was not clear enough? I intend to sit atop heaven. I will sit in the vacant throne of the Spirit King. Do not take me for a fool, General; I know the truth. I have seen the seal, I know of the bindings. I know everything."

"You know _nothing!_" The general yelled, anger flashing to his face, "Do you really believe you can defeat the spirit king with such a paltry amount of power! I have led the shinigami for two thousand years, and nothing has been more powerful than I...save for the Spirit King!"

"And you follow its orders like a blind minion, mindlessly doing what it commands?" Aizen frowned, "Does that not seem to be...unfair?"

The General growled, "Once again, you prove your lack of understanding. Do you want to know what the spirit king is? Do you truly want to know?"

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

Across the frozen blaze, the General grunted, "Very well. To see the Spirit King is the easiest thing in the entire world." The general glanced to the ball of kido held in his remaining hand, squeezing it for a moment into an elongated shape, before collapsing back into a sphere; outside, a few brief seconds passed, and in the center of the pillar of fire, a hole was punched straight up, letting the light of the sun shine through onto the both of them. The General's face fell into shadow as the sun's light fell upon it, bringing into high relief the countless scars and marks of battle that covered his body.

"To see the Spirit King...all one must do is...look up."

Slowly, Aizen raised his head, focusing on the flaming orb, incredibly high in the sky. "What..." his words faded as he understood. _No..._ he thought, _that's...that's impossible. Impossible._

His expression changed only a tiny fraction, but it was enough.

The General grunted, disgusted, "Did you really believe that we would sacrifice one hundred _thousand_ of the souls we strive so hard to protect merely to enshroud our 'King' in mystery?"

For the first time perhaps in recorded memory, he began to laugh; a bleak, ominous sound. "At last, you finally understand. Now, perhaps, you can make your choice with true freedom. Finally you know what peril we move beneath every day." he raised his eyes to the sky, staring at his ancient nemesis for a long moment. Finally, he lowered them again, staring at Aizen full on. "I hope," he said, voice beginning to shake with weariness, "I hope...for the sake of Soul Society...that you make the...correct...choice..."

The General toppled to the ground, his kido disappearing into a flash of harmless light. And all that Aizen could do was walk forward, stunned, from the blaze.

That was the moment that had changed everything, of course. All of his vast plans, discarded in an instant. He had needed time to think, in a place where he could rest with the dignity he deserved.

Now, with years to think over what had happened, he realized that he had gone a touch insane as he attempted to deal with the revelation. The screaming and wanton destruction had probably been unnecessary.

But now he had a plan. For every being in the universe, there existed a counterpart. For him, there existed Ichigo Kurasaki. For the Spirit King...

Deep in the bowels of the Seireitei, Aizen began to laugh. A new plan was already in motion, and this time no power in heaven or earth would stop him.

* * *

><p><em>Three Months Later<em>

"I have never been so proud as I am on this day." On a platform extending out above the crowd of anxiously waiting Soul Reapers, the Dean of the Shino Institute smiled widely, "And every other graduation day, of course. But that doesn't really matter, does it? Just... go out! Into the world! Forwards and onwards, never stopping, you will meet your fate, and find your destiny! I think. I therefore, henceforth and henceforward, hereforeafterwards and henceafterforthwards...uh...where was I?" A dark-robed individual hurried to the Dean's side, whispering in his ear quickly, and he turned back to his audience "Ah, of course! So following this, your graduation, go out into the world! Make Soul Society proud, and you will make me proud, and also my cat Poodles, and my..." again the soul reaper whispered in his ear for a few seconds, then the dean waved him away irritably, "Fine, Fine! With no further ado, I declare your training complete! _Congratulations…Soul Reapers__!_"

A wave of cheers broke across the huge room, echoing hundreds of feet up to the rafters, and from one side of the building to the other. Windows shattered, hats and small animals were thrown, and all semblance of decorum went out the window in an instant.

After all, this was the worst graduating class of them all.

The Dean smiled a wide smile , and then trailed off into noisy snores as his aide wheeled him off the stage. Pausing for a brief moment, hundreds of soul reapers began to applaud their venerable teacher, who was always understanding, and always willing to give a second chance. Without him, half of them would not be here.

And when he was finally clear of the room, the real party began.

Insanity Ensued.

Dozens of kegs of sake were uncovered from where they had been hidden all around the room, some discovered left over from graduations years past. For the Third-Class, chaos was a tradition that was joyously upheld.

Friends and enemies pounded one another on the back, Men and Women, Allies and Rivals, Even some of the teachers joined the excitement! Almost all barriers temporarily vanished in the madness. The newest class of shinigami had finally graduated!

The Third-Class were the worst of the graduating soul reapers, the ones that barely passed, later to be assigned to only the most basic of hollows(if they were unlucky!) Everyone knew it, but nobody cared what happened to them, especially not this night.

And in their increasingly inebriated state, anything seemed possible. On the stage where the dean had spoken, they had commandeered the recently installed audio system, and a half dozen graduates sang karaoke at each other, getting more and more red-faced as their singing became ever more slurred, before eventually collapsing into a pile. A dozen feet away, a group of girls practiced kissing on a young man, his bespectacled face growing redder and redder with each kiss until finally he passed out cold on one of the couches that folded out of the walls(Installed by the graduating Third-Class some 75 years before!). The girls skipped away through an intricate game of sake-go, the players too inebriated to give chace, their tumultuous giggling penetrating the turmoil that now filled the room, sending the sounds of laughter, as always, as the predominant signal of this graduating class.

* * *

><p>Except, if you watched carefully, you would notice one girl, alone in the crowd. For a brief few minutes, she walked about the room, trying to talk to random people in the crowd...who treated her like a ghost, hurrying away into the chaos. Minutes later, she rushed from the room, unnoticed, and again the crowd swelled with noise.<p>

* * *

><p>High above the crowd, above even the stage from which the dean had given his speech, the vice dean watched the rampant inebriation below with cold disapproval. Watching the revelry unfold unrestrained felt like grinding salt into a wound in his soul. To say that it displeased him would be like saying the sun was kind of warm. He ground his teeth impotently; unfortunately, the elderly Dean had specifically ordered him not to disrupt it this year. Again and again, he reminded himself that to disobey the Dean would damage his reputation forever. He would never be able to prepare another student for what they would face In the real world. He would be an outcast, he told himself. Below, a student fell from a table, smashing his face into the ground as those watching laughed uproariously, and the vice-dean's hand twitched towards his zanpakuto. He grimaced in annoyance.<p>

The roar of the crowd was suddenly punctuated by the sound of glass breaking, and he drew himself back to reality as he reminded himself of the reason he was here. Straightening his collar, he walked out onto the high platform, a strict frown forming on his face. He would make his speech and be done, and _maybe_ teach a few of these children a lesson, he thought. But only if they really deserved it. Before his frown could fully take shape however, he found himself interrupted by presence of a well-endowed woman, her robes left open to highlight her considerable tracts of land. Instantly he glanced over, ready to deliver a stiff reprimand to whoever would be so careless as to get into his way, but before he could form the sentence, he realized who it was, and froze. The woman who stood there chuckled, her drawled words filled with sympathetic humor.

"Aww, don't be like that, 'Tano."

_What is _she_ doing here? _He thought, furiously. However, he merely turned aside and frowned down at the party evolving below him. His frown deepened as he realized that she must have been concealing her presence for him not to have felt her presence. _This won't be any easier..._ he thought, annoyed, _Better to go on the offensive. _"Don't be like what, 'Miko?" he said with forced lightness, using his nickname for his fellow teacher, hoping it would distract her. No such luck.

"Don't be so hard on them. You can't fool me, I _know_ that look. You shouldn't be so hard on them."

He turned to the side to appreciate her face; she was beautiful, he sometimes thought. Beautiful… in an infuriating manner, anyway. A small, understanding smile was currently crossing her full lips, and he felt a flash of desire... He glanced away again, grinding his teeth. No matter how many times he told her, she always—he growled, a low, dangerous noise.

"They have no idea of what is coming for them. If they…knew… they wouldn't be celebrating like this."

"Oh, now, Tano…not everyone will have a first year like you. Most have a grand ole' time in the 13 court guard squads. Even you can't—" She rested her hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off, impatient.

"I know— what they will be facing. You don't need to practice your travelogue on me. I know well enough." He grimaced, _Why does she always make this as hard as pos__sible? _He shook his head, frustrated, "Now, I just need to get this bloody announcement out of the way while they still might remember it, and get back to my office. _Some_ of us have work to do, you know." He glanced back at her; the annoying smile was still on her face, fairly glowing with sympathy.

He grunted and turned away again, forcing himself to change his focus_. How to best get the attention of an almost raving mob…hmm._ Taking a deep breath and clearing his mind, he decided on the Dean's traditional approach.

Pointing his bare finger towards the ceiling high above, he muttered to himself:

"Hado 4; Byakurai".

Still filled with anger, the kido was stronger than he intended; A bolt of blue lightning burst from his hand, flying high into the sky and shattering the skylight above, shooting into the sky, and causing screams from some and smiles from the others. From the back of the room, a joker shouted out, "Do a back flip!", sending a ripple of laughter across the crowd. Forcing his face into a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, he changed his voice to one that reverberated with command, and projected out over the now quieter crowd;

"As most of you should still remember, I am the Vice Dean in charge of personnel...and assignment."

Worried frowns broke out across the crowd. As many said, he literally held their lives in his hands, should he so choose to abuse his authority. He continued, "I am only here to remind you all that any person applying to a specific one of the 13 court guard squads should have done so by now." Around the class, some of the faces paled, and he knew that, like always, some had forgotten to apply. He continued, reassuring the forgetful ones,

"If you have _not _shown such a preference, we, your teachers, will endeavor to advocate the squad that will suit you best." The fearful ones calmed. What did they think would happen, they'd just toss them away if they didn't apply? Soul reapers were too important to Soul Society to do something ridiculous like that. _I should know..._ he ground his teeth, and then jumped as 'Miko rested her hand on his shoulder again. Sighing, he left it there and continued,

"Additionally, I would like to remind you that in the upcoming week, you will meet with one of the planning advisers, graduates from last year who have kindly volunteered to fulfill the _ancient_ and _traditional_ process of assigning you to your respective squads. You should know that as per tradition, while we teachers may _strongly_ suggest to then which squad you belong in, they have the ultimate authority when it comes to your future." _Such a stupid tradition_, he thought, _but it's important to the Dean, for some reason._ "In any case, I strongly advise you be kind to them. No need for undue worry, however; Abuse of the position is the single thing that I will _not _tolerate. If they take advantage of their power, _I_ will take advantage of _them, personally_."

His wolf grin after this statement sent half the crowd into a frightened silence; nobody knew for sure, but everyone had heard the stories about the Vice-Dean...after sweeping his eyes over the crowd of graduates, he eventually continued,

"Other than that, you have nothing to do for the next two weeks. I suggest you enjoy yourselves." If any of them noticed the sarcasm present in his voice, they were smart enough not to show it in their faces. "Live long, Shinigami!"

Finished, he turned away, and the crowd once again broke out into happy cheers. He turned and walked off the stage, his false smiles already long gone. He felt 'Miko's hand fall reluctantly from his shoulder, but forced himself to continue walking. He only stopped once, just as he was about to leave the room, he glanced back at the surging mob of happy shinigami. 'Miko was watching them dance with a smile; the Vice Dean turned away.

Happy lives. Wouldn't that be a treat?

"Idiots…"

Shaking his head, he strode out of the room. He had more serious matters to attend to.

The party he left behind lasted for four days and became a legend in itself, not the least of which being the very special people had been a part of that crowd. Or at least, some claimed they were.

* * *

><p><em>Several Days Later<em>

_Deep inside the Squad Six Barracks_

From outside, a quavering knock rang, reverberating throughout the room.

The knocker spoke, his voice as shaky as the knock had been. "A-Amaya? I have—are you there?" For a moment, it was silent, and then a second knock sounded, as the fearful person spoke again;

"Amaya? Hello? Are you there?"

Suddenly, a new voice cut in, louder than the first one, but rough and bored.

"Oh, come on, you moron. You outrank her now, use your authority! If you want to enter…" He grunted, and with a violent burst of energy, he sent the door flying off its hinges with a massive kick.

"…ENTER!"

He boldly strode into the quiet room, his brows drawn together as he darted his gaze around the spartan room. Finally they settled on the girl, still sitting in the lotus position, ice-blue eyes impassively fixed on him. Then they darted around the room.

Quickly and intelligently, those eyes took stock of the room, taking in the tall man, the smaller man fearfully peeking out from behind him, and finally the splintered door now lying on the ground. Again, her eyes flashed to the tall man's face.

Her expression didn't change all all, but he had the strangest feeling that room temperature had dropped about 5 degrees.

She watched, seemingly without emotion, as a single drop of sweat slowly dripped down his forehead. Eventually, she closed her eyes, and spoke, her words quiet and controlled.

"What are you here for, Miyaka?"

He stared at her until the big man stamped his foot impatiently,

"Get on with it, man! Spit it out!"

Finally, stuttering, he brought his fearful gaze up to meet Amaya's cold eyes, and he straightened himself. He _did_ outrank her now, he reminded himself. That had to mean something. He hoped.

"Amaya Ekairi, you have been ordered to report to the 14th Court Guard Squad, otherwise known as the Shinigami Reserves, for service as combat healer"

Amaya and Miyaka stared at each other for a long moment.

The tall man glanced between the two, before his eyes clouded with confusion.

"Wait a minute…the '14th squad'? What the hell is that?"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile,<strong>

**Assignment Room J, Shinigami Class Three**

"…and congratulations on your assignment into the 11th squad! Just as a tip, I suggest you keep your zanpakuto handy when you meet those guys, they can be a bit…ah, rambunctious."

The tall man smirked up from his desk at the muscled man in front of him, who clearly hadn't noticed the sarcasm that had colored his voice.

"Very well, you're dismissed. NEXT!" The burly man proudly strutted out the door, while behind him, the quiet man smiled a twisted little smile, and murmured to himself,

"Heh, heh, heh…that guy's just like the rest of those morons in the 11th. I bet he lasts…two weeks? Three? Nah, he might be a keeper, actually. Hmm, time to start the betting." He wrote down the man's name carefully in his notebook, making sure to write down all the procedural stuff, but also including his bet. Finishing that, he relaxed back into his chair.

"Ah, I love this job! Pruning all this trash out of soul society, doing 'good works'" He laughed mockingly, then craned his neck to look down the hallway, "…where is that damn next graduate? NEEEEEEXT!" he bellowed.

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry sir, I'm coming, coming, com-oompf!" the quiet man watched with mild amusement as the candidate stumbled through the door and finally fell flat on her face. Before she could stand, he re-arranged his face into an impassive look, trying to look as scholarly as any of the teachers.

"Sorry! Sorry, sir, I'm just a little clumsy, but I'll do ok, I promise!" Popping up from the ground, she pushed her large glasses up her nose and smiled bravely, trying to make up for her earlier blunder.

"Hinoko Miako, reporting for duty SIR!"

He glanced down at the paper showing her scores and test results, and then extended his spiritual power, gauging her reiatsu, her muscle mass, and the zanpakuto that he saw slung loosely at her side.

_Huh? That's weird..._

Slightly confused, he checked her reiatsu again, closing his eyes as he gauged her power level to the full extent of his ability.

Finished with his second check, he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him, staring at her with a perturbed expression.

"Uhh…sir? Is there a problem?"

Pondering what he had sensed, he glanced down at his ledger and asked, "…'Hinoko Miako'…how have you survived in the Shinō Academy?"

Sucking on her pinky, she drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

"Survived? What do you mean, sir?" she looked at him for an answer. Unfortunately, no answer was forthcoming, so she responded simply, " Well, I don't know…just lucky, I guess!" She said, smiling, "Why do you ask, sir?"

"I simply ask, because, to be honest, your reiatsu is barely recognizable. Can you even cast kido?"

Her eyes widened.

"Of-of course, sir! I can…I can cast kido! You saw my grades, didn't you?

He glanced at the ledger again, and looked at her with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Yes, yes, your grades...but teachers have been known to make mistakes."

He slowly smiled. Spinning his chair around, he seized the penknife on his desk, and slashed a light cut across his palm.

"Well then...if you _can_ cast kido...then heal this," he said, slightly menacing smile growing larger.

"Sir?" she said with confusion,

He repeated, "If you can cast kido, you can heal this. Can't you?"

"N-no-I mean yes-I mean...well, I can try..."

* * *

><p><em>5 minutes later<em>

"To be honest, I'm impressed." The tall man looked down at his freshly healed palm, testing his hand as he flexed it. "Being able to cast kido at all with your level of reiatsu is remarkable. Unfortunately, even this," he waved his freshly healed hand around elaborately, "doesn't qualify you for service in even the fourth squad, with the healers. Taking 5 minutes to heal a tiny wound like that is far below the necessary level required for even an unseated position in the divisions. What would you do in a real combat situation? They might grow old and die before you healed their injuries…if they survived at all."

He looked down at her face, where dejection was quickly setting in.

"Please…isn't there anything I can do?" He pondered the question; she didn't have that bad of a body, his scan had told him that, but her face…he didn't think he ignore that face. Those glasses...ugh. In any case, he knew better than to take advantage of one of the graduates; one of his friends had tried last year, and had ended up _sans_ two fingers on his right hand, courtesy of the Vice-Dean. Regrowing fingers was not fun. It was a nice fantasy, but…he quickly decided that the benefits weren't worth the risks. He liked his body well and intact. And who knew if the vice-dean would stop with his _fingers…_

He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers before his face. It would be pointless to put her into any of the squads; the girl was completely useless. To put her into any of the squads would only be a detriment to that squad, and would probably end up getting someone killed, and maybe it wouldn't be her! Even he wasn't cruel enough to do that. _Well then, fine…_ he thought, and a tiny smile crept onto his face, _There's always...that__ other option._ His smile grew, as he made his decision.

"Very well. I'll break the rules for you for once."

The girl's eyes widened, and he continued, since she clearly didn't recognize sarcasm.

"I am going to do something that has not been done in over two hundred years. Hinoko Mitasuki, report to the Shino Reserves, as its commanding officer!" Her face lit up, and she dashed around his desk and hugged him lightly, with a small blush coloring her face.

"Oh, thank you sir! Thank you thank you thank you thank you you wont regret this I promise thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

She ran from the room, her voice trailing off as she ran down the hall. For a moment, he felt a touch of guilt, but he quickly squashed it.

_Oh well. She couldn't have done any good anyway, in the reserves she won't get killed off any faster than she would anywhere else. I'll give her a week, tops._

He turned back to his desk, chuckling as he wrote down his bet. Not many people got to send people to the hell-hole they called the Shino Reserves.

_How do they let people like that enter the academy, anyway?_

He finished writing his entry, and re-arranged his face back into its scholarly facade. "NEXT!"

Down the hall, Hinoko abruptly skidded to a halt. "Wait a moment…14th court guard squad? Reserves? _Commanding Officer! _What's going on!" Nobody nearby payed attention to her, like usual.

"Where do I go now? What am I supposed to do!"

* * *

><p>This was Impossible.<p>

There was a building in front of her. Sort of. At one point, you might have called it a building; Before the forest completely wrapped it up like a Christmas present. Or before some sort of bomb had apparently gone off inside, blowing all the windows outwards and leaving shards of glass sticking out at jagged angles. Not to mention that even the glass was so old that it had turned opaque.

Resting her hands on her hips, Hinoko glared up at the ancient building accusingly, and hoped deeply that it would collapse sooner instead of later, so she could go back to the Seireitei. She had things she needed to do.

Sadly, it remained standing like it must have for hundreds of years before, and Hinoko was forced to sigh in defeat. Beaten, already...It figured. She forced herself to remember that, assuming her ridiculous orders were not a prank as her advisors had assured her they weren't; she would be in a position to advance her agenda faster than she could possibly have any other way. It was just so _strange…Captain__. No, it can't be true. But the way he said it…_For the dozenth time, she glanced down at the orders she held in her hands. What she saw could not be denied. "Student: Hinoko I. Mitasuki. Assignment: Captain, 14th squad. Effective Immediately."

A head popped out of one of the third floor windows, breaking her train of thought with a new one, _Nashiyo? What's she doing here?_

"Hinoko? What are you doing here?" The girl said, unconciously echoing Hinoko's thoughts.

Hinoko coughed in amusement, "What are you doing all the way up there?"

"Up here?" Nashiyo looked around, as if surprised at her location, then shrugged, "I sorta woke up up here." Her face flushed, and she continued quickly, "Anyway, get up here already! Everyone else is here, we're only waiting for you!"

"Y…Yes!"

Hinoko stroked her sword for a moment as she made her way towards the building, feeling strength and support soak into her from the hilt. No matter what she found in that room, she knew, at least her zanpakuto would always be there for her. Maybe together, they could change the world for the better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter: 2**

**New Captains, The Same Old Enemies**

Hinoko found herself in a large room, light shining in from the tall windows on every wall, the floor only broken up by ancient piles of dust and debris scattered somewhat randomly across the floor. Maybe at one time some of it had been furniture; now they were toppled, dirty, and broken, pieces scattered in various places, and piles of grunge and dust collecting on their remains. Several people had righted what had been a couch at one point, cleaning it off as best they could, and were now arrayed around it, and it was to them that Hinoko addressed herself;

"Hello, my name is Hinoko Miako ," she bowed, "I'm not quite sure what to do as a Captain, but I'll really try to do my best!" Hinoko forced a brave smile to her face as her eyes darted around the room nervously, but a dark-haired man in the corner spun to face her, "Did you say 'captain'? You must be joking. _I_ was assigned here as captain."

"That can't be right, either! _I _was assigned here as captain!" Nashiyo said, annoyed, walking over to Hinoko and seizing her orders, "See, right here, Hinoko, Assignment…captain…" she faded off, then darted over next to the black-haired man, "Ronin, Captain." She was full on sprinting now, dashing back to the couch and grabbing the slip of paper from a blonde-haired man sitting there, a confused expression on his face, "Kane Tsunao. Captain!" angrily, she shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out an identical slip of paper, "Nashiyo Suzuki, CAPTAIN! _Damn Them! _I should have _Known _they would pull some sort of stunt like this! Just what I should have expected of the '_Ancient _and _Respected _Shino Reserves!_"_

"What are you talking about," Hinoko asked meekly, "I don't understand at all..."

Nashiyo sighed and turned to the shorter girl, "Hinoko, didn't anyone ever mention anything about the Shino Reserves when you were in the academy?"

Hinoko's face reddened, "Nobody said anything to me," She muttered, lowering her head.

Nashiyo rolled her eyes, "I can't believe that you, of all people, wouldn't have read the books..." she abruptly stood and began to pace, then paused, "Of course, they _were_ restricted material, but still…" She shook her head and quickly spun to face Hinoko, "Each year there are a few students that graduate, but someone in the process decides they don't have the 'power, intelligence, or personality' to 'integrate fully' into the first Thirteen Court Guard Squads." She quoted the words with her fingers as she smirked humorlessly.

"Some of them are sent off to the Maggots Nest. And yes, it _is_ just as bad as they make it out to be in the rumors."

"How…" Hinoko began, but Nashiyo waved her off, shaking her head,

"Don't ask me how I know that. Just be glad you're not there." Her frown grew darker.

"We more 'harmless' recruits are sent here, to the reserves, where within a few weeks, somehow we all disappear. Oh, no, it didn't actually say that in the books," she said hastily as Hinoko's eyes widened, "But it's if you look through the old records, you'll see it's the truth. Whether it's blamed on mutiny, or that they were killed by hollows, or even by powerful souls roaming out in these forests, the result is always the same; None of the previous Reserves squads has ever lasted for more than two weeks."

"I don't think it's quite as simple as that…" The blonde haired man cut in, uncertainly, but Hinoko could tell she had already argued with her sometimes-friend, and Nashiyo cut him off in return,

"It _is_ as simple as that!" her eyes were suddenly daggers at the blonde man, as she growled, "As far as we know, they might just direct hollows here, and kill two birds with one stone! They weaken the hollows, they destroy a potential thorn in their side, it's _efficient,"_ She spat, shamelessly angry, "Well I'm not going to just lie down and die like a good little shinigami. They can take their orders, and they can…" she told them to do something anatomically improbable with the orders. The others watched nonplussed as she stormed from the room.

Hinoko shook her head, slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry about that…" The others turned to face Hinoko, curiously, "She can be really angry sometimes, but she's a good person, deep…uh, inside." She tried to smile reassuringly, but the others didn't seem to be very reassured, and she sighed.

Kane shook his head, "You haven't heard the rumors, then? My name is Kane, by the way." Hinoko bowed, then quickly shook her head,

"No, I-I hadn't. But it makes sense I guess...I mean, look at this building. All of the glass is gone, and it's so old, so cold…" She shivered a little as she looked around the room; destroyed as it was, it must have been terribly magnificent at its peak; the floor covered with what might once have been an elegant red carpet, now actually brown with age; the destroyed furniture, she now saw, were covered in elegant woodwork, at least on the parts that weren't covered with dirt and dust.

"…and Amaya is over in the south wing, so, um, yeah, take whatever one you want." Kane finished with a smile.

She blinked up at him, then glanced over at the person he had gestured towards.

"What was that? I'm sorry, I got distracted...Amaya? Who is…Amaya…" she faded off as her eyes met the ice blue ones of the white-haired girl. Suddenly, she found herself unable to speak, her vocal cords paralyzed, almost as if she was frozen solid.

The spell was broken by a warm laugh from Kane, "I see you've spotted Ekairi Amaya-San." Hinoko wrenched her eyes away, embarrassed, but Kane only laughed, leaning in to whisper, "She has that effect on people. When I first met her I thought she was about to rip my face off," his voice went back to normal as he sat back on the couch, "But, she's actually quite nice once you get to know her... I'm pretty sure." He looked at the white haired girl nervously, his face transitioning between various shades of red.

Abruptly, he stood and spun around, almost whipping Hinoko with his hair as he pointed to the eyebrow man almost frantically; he had meandered to a corner, looking out through a window into the forest, the fog blowing wispily around him, "That there is…" He paused for a second as he took a deep breath the red fading from, and finally an amused expression crossed, his face, "To be completely honest with you, nobody knows his _real_ name. When he enrolled, he refused to tell anyone, so the instructor just called him 'Ronin', sort of as a joke, I think. You know, the old word for a samurai without a master? I think somebody snuck an old Kurosawa movie into the seireitei that year. Kind of corny, but hey, what can you do? Pretty soon it stuck, and now everyone just calls him Ronin. Before they could coax his real name out of him, he had been responding to Ronin for weeks, so they just gave up." The blonde man shrugged. "He's…different, but as far as I've seen of him, he's reliable if you need a hand. Actually...he was in your class, so you probably know him better than I do."

Hinoko nodded. She had seen him in some of her classes from time to time, but nobody had ever gotten close enough to know him. He had a strange air about him…she looked over, and watched as his long black hair rustled in the wind. He had a sort of dark elegance about him.

She wasn't sure if she believed the stories that he had accidentally destroyed an entire building when he was told to demonstrate kido, but it didn't seem to be the sort of question one could just ask… she decided that even if this 'Kane' said he was okay, he still had something about him that sent a tiny shiver up her spine.

"In any case, his assignment was to here, as, apparently, Captain, so I guess we'll be working together," Kane said with a chuckle, "Here, I'll introduce you."

Kane called over to him, "Hey Ronin! This is Hinoko. You might recognize her from your classes?"

He turned his head, eyes flashing to Kane's face before locking onto Hinoko's; he raised an eyebrow again, "Charmed, I'm sure," he said, with a tone that suggested he wanted more than anything to roll his eyes. He shook his head before glancing back to the forest without another word. Kane just shook his head.

"Not the…friendliest person. That's part of why we're all here, I guess." He smiled a pained expression. "I _hear_ he can be a funny guy if you can get under his skin, though. Apparently he makes up all _sorts_ of hilarious stuff after you get a little sake in him. No idea why he got sent here, to be honest. I always thought he got pretty good grades." Shaking his head, he moved on

"Anyway, next up is the girl that ran out of here a second ago. Her name is Nashiyo Suzuki; at first I thought she might have gotten assigned to this dump because of her grades, cause she was pretty terrible, but even old Mojo-san made it into a real squad, and he failed three years of classes!" he shook his head, "Anyway, she's also assigned here as, of course, Captain." He chuckled, and then cocked his head quizzically, "What's wrong?"

Hinoko ran her thumb over the hilt of the sword at her side nervously, "Everyone calls this squad a dump—why would I get sent here? I always had good grades; I really did try my hardest. I did my final paper in third-era calligraphy just in case anything might have gone wrong! I'm not stupid!"

Kane waved his hands frantically as her eyes began to tear up, "No no no! You didn't do anything wrong, there was nothing you could have done to avoid it. Nashiyo might be a bit…unpleasant, sometimes, but she's always right about what she knows, and she told me why it is we all were sent here; 'You don't get sent here without a good reason,' she told me, and that reason has nothing to do with grades. The one thing we all have in common is our special ability!" He grinned widely, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Special…ability?"

"We have the power to piss people off without even trying."

Her eyes went wide as saucers, "B-b-b-buh—"

"I know, I know, you didn't want to end up here, but neither did I. I've talked to some friends of mine, and they've told what most people plan to do if they get sent here. We all have plenty of life left, we can still make it work." Kane rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Apparently, our best bet is to just head back to the seireitei and submit our resignations. Being on the 14th squad, nobody will even notice we're gone, and then in ten years or so, once everyone's forgotten about us, we'll just re-enroll with a different look and a different name, and try again." sighing, he stood up and glanced around the room with a faintly twisted expression, quickly forcing it into a mild smile, "It's not our fault, not really; we were just unlucky. Maybe next time it will work out better for all of us."

Throughout his entire speech, Hinoko sat frozen, staring at him numbly. Ten Years? That was too long… as far as she knew, it might _already_ be too late! She couldn't afford to wait that long…ten years! It was too long! By then, soul society might be _gone_! She couldn't wait that long. She wouldn't!

"…Hinoko? Are you okay?"

"Kane-kun, I'm sorry, but I can't do that." She stiffened her back, gazing directly into his eyes, "There are still things I need to do here, and they can't wait. Regardless of what you do, I'm staying here. I'll…I'll even fight, if I have to, but I'm not leaving. Not until I do what I have to do!"

Kane blinked, staring at her curiously for a long moment, before a grin spread across his face, and he stuck out a hand, "Well then, that's great! I told myself that if even one person stayed, I would too, so if you're staying, then there's no way I'm leaving!"

Hinoko shyly took his hand, smiling up at him, and they shook.

"So it's agreed," Kane said, dreamily, "We'll stay here, for better or for worse." He grinned again, "And any hollows better watch out!"

Hinoko laughed, "Hollows beware!" she said, facetiously. A moment later, she jumped back in fright as the white-haired girl appeared next to them. She stared down at the woods, peering into the darkness with an intense gaze.

"A-Amaya?" Hinoko finally said, regaining her voice.

"You may have your chance earlier than expected," She said, ignoring her , "Arm yourselves."

As soon as the words passed her lips, she had flashed to the other side of the room and begun to lash her zanpakuto to her side, returning a split-second later.

"They are already here," she said, staring out into the darkness again, eyes pinched together in concentration.

From the east, the screams of hollows rang through the air.

* * *

><p>"A Hollow attack inside the soul society? And no warning, either?" Kane was on his feet, looking down from the window. "Darn it, I can't see through the trees. Where are they?"<p>

From the far end of the room, Nashiyo barreled in, struggling to get her zanpakuto slung over her head, "There're hollows out there!"

"Yes, there are." Amaya closed her eyes for a brief moment, "I believe I can detect two…three. No, four. " She cocked her head to the side, "Something about this building is clouding my ability to sense reiatsu. I am not certain, but I believe there to be four to five lower class hollows in front of this building, probably in the forest. We will need to move outside to protect the structure from being damaged."

"Outside, are you crazy? If we go outside, they'll eat us alive!" Nashiyo said, eyes widening frantically.

Amaya's eyes darted back, "We have no choice. If we remain inside, they will collapse the building around us, and after we are dead, many more will die when they reach inhabited areas." She turned back to the window, muttering, "We are lucky that they have chosen such a quiet area to attack."

"_Lucky? _You're calling this _Lucky!_We're under attack and there's nobody for miles around to help us! I knew this was going to happen, I knew it! We're all going to die, and I'm never going to be able to see my family again—"

"Quiet!" Amaya's voice cut her off instantly, "This is no time for complaint. We can either fight and live, or surrender and die helplessly, and let dozens or hundreds of helpless souls suffer the same fate!"

Nashiyo's face hardened, turning away, and Amaya continued slowly,

"As senior officer, I am taking temporary command. Follow me!"

Her voice was calm and quiet, but somehow it resonated with command. Moments later, they descended into the forest.

* * *

><p>"I can't see anything!"<p>

"T-That's what happens when you go into a d-dark forest at night, idiot!" Nashiyo said acerbically, trying unsuccessfully to cover the wobble in her voice.

Hinoko was beginning to seriously doubt the wisdom of wandering through a dense forest with four people she barely knew.

"Quiet." Amaya's voice cut through the chatter that was sounding from their small group. They regrouped in the small clearing outside the building, glancing nervously into the darkness as the sounds of hollows echoed from all around them.

"Where are they?" Nashiyo said shakily.

From the right, Ronin sighed, "Don't you remember _anything_ from your training at the academy?" Nashiyo glared at him, but he just rolled his eyes, "Sense their reiatsu! Follow that to the source!"

"Of course!" The lesson suddenly rushed back to Hinoko's mind. It had been one of the few classes she could actually succeed in, so she treasured it closely. Shutting her eyes, she threw herself out, feeling for any strange sources of reiatsu; Almost like a radar, she felt the answers came back, ringing in from various places around her, they were showing up like bright spots of light on a midnight background. Quietly, to keep from disturbing her trance, she spoke to the others.

"You were right, Amaya, there are five of them. They are…that way!" She pointed in the direction she felt the aura from the strongest, and opened her eyes; she found herself pointing into the deepest, darkest part of the forest. Quickly she closed them again, feeling deeper, but felt nothing; bringing herself back closer, she suddenly found herself inspecting the other soul reapers reiatsu. For some odd reason, they were all different colors, she found. Amaya's was blue, Nashiyo's green, Kane's Red, and Ronin's…Ronin's was black. Why would that be?

"Very good," Amaya said, breaking Hinoko from her trance, "That seems to be correct. They are still several hundred feet away, so now is the time to plan." She turned the group and bowed, "Through some twist of fate, you have all been assigned to this squad as captains. This is...unprecedented," she said, but the inflection she used gave the impression that the word she would have liked to use was _absurd_, "...but I cannot ignore the law, even in the face of the unexpected. All four of you outrank me. At the same time, this group needs leadership in order to survive. In this case, I would request you allow me to direct you for this brief interval. Is this acceptable."

For a long moment, Hinoko stared at her; Was she serious? She couldn't detect any humor in her words, so she nodded slowly. The sheer impossibility had made her deny it before, but with the presence of this striking girl confirming it, she suddenly realized that this was _real, _and that her-_their_ lives were at stake. In a quick wave following her, Nashiyo, Ronin and Kane nodded their agreement, and Amaya bowed,

"Thank you...Captains. I will not fail."

Turning, she began to walk deeper into the forest, drawing her zanpakuto from its sheath and narrowing her eyes at the darkness, "Now, recall your lessons. In them lies everything you need to survive this fight. We face the possibility of imminent death, not only for us, but for countless innocent souls. Only you stand in the way between them and death. Always remember that, and do not fail."

And she walked into the forest. Moments later Kane entered as well, followed by Ronin and Nashiyo, each glancing at each other, sizing the other up before walking side by side. Moments later, Hinoko was left behind.

"B-bu-but…Amaya-sensei! Wait up! I didn't get a chance to tell you…" She faded out as she looked into the dark forest, stroked her zanpakuto for resolve, and finally dashed in after the others. "Amaya! Tsunao-kun! Wait for me!"

* * *

><p>Two seconds later, she ran into Nashiyo with a thud as the others gave her an odd stare. Nashiyo rubbed her arm where Hinoko had run into it, and gave her a funny look, "Are you alright?"<p>

"I-"

"Hold." Amaya held out her arm in warning, her face tight with focus. Slowly she turned. "We needn't go any further after all."

Ronin raised an eyebrow... before a giant hand latched onto his shoulder from out of the darkness. He glanced down at it, then back up, and narrowed his eyes, "Ah. Damn." Without further comment, he was yanked out of sight; it had all happened so fast, none of them could even move before it was over.

Kane dashed to where the man had stood moments before, yelling into the darkness,

"Ronin! RONIN!"

A hollow roared in reply, moving deeper into the forest, and the remaining four shinigami converged together, Kane swore to himself, "Damn it! How could I let this happen? I said that I wouldn't let anyone die, and I've already screwed up!"

"Control yourself, Captain." Amaya's words sliced through the darkness, "Casualties are a part of war. For now, we must _focus_ on the objective, or we will _all die_."

"Y-yes…of course." He held his sword more tightly, jaw locked tight.

From the far end of a small clearing, a massive _whump_ sounded, a hollow bursting from the ground and staring at them hungrily. Amaya calmly faced it, "It appears this is my turn. There should not be many more; remain here, and I will return shortly."

Turning, the hollow lumbered off into the forest, and Amaya leapt after it, her sword shining in the faint beams of moonlight as she disappeared into the trees.

For once, the forest was silent, leaving the three shinigami in the woods, clustering closer together.

"We're…all alone…" Nashiyo said unevenly.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you." Kane was watching the trees carefully, his eyes darting from one spot to the next, trying to see into the darkness. "If you see anything, don't hesitate; just kill it, okay?"

He glanced back at Hinoko and Nashiyo, both were looking around with fright, but Nashiyo sent Hinoko a frightened look.

"Hinoko, why haven't you drawn your zanpakuto! If a hollow comes and you're not ready, you'll get eaten for sure!"

Hinoko crouched nearer to the other girl, looking around fearfully, "That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, but nobody would listen!" She seemed about to cry, "My zanpakuto…it's useless." She hung her head, ashamed.

"Huh?"

"It's useless! It's not even sharp! Look!"

She tugged her zanpakuto from it's scabbard, the others noticing for the first time its strange design; Rather than one scabbard, there were…two parallel ones?

"Your zanpakuto is a tuning fork?"

The two tongs extended the normal length of a sword, and the hilt of the soul cutter was the same as any sword, but the tongs were round, clearly not capable of cutting.

Hinoko waved it around wildly, "See! I can't kill hollows with this; she's not even very pointy!"

"No wonder you got assigned here." Nashiyo said drily, but Kane shook his head.

"We don't have time to think about that, those howls are getting closer." He returned his eyes to the forest around them, "Just stay between me and Nashiyo, we'll protect you."

"We will?"

He sighed, exasperated. "Yes, Nashiyo, we _will!_"

The both stared at him, Hinoko's mind whirling with wonder. He sounded so confident, she thought, that must by why they made him captain. However, Nashiyo was staring at him for a slightly different reason.

"I would appreciate it if you would not speak to me with such a lack of formality, _Tsunao-kun._"

Kane glared at her, before beginning to prowl around the outer edge of the clearing.

Also watching the outskirts of the meadow, Hinoko glanced furtively around in search for the remaining hollows; while she knew they were nearby, they had begun to hide their presence after Amaya had given chase to the one of them. Closing her eyes, she reached out, searching…she found Amaya's bright spark a few hundred feet away. Relaxing, she opened her eyes and glanced down at Nashiyo's zanpakuto.

Her hands were tightly gripping the hilt, her fingers white with strain, her zanpakuto shaking slightly in her clenched fists.

"Nashiyo-san?" Nashiyo jumped, and then turned slightly,

"Huh?"

"Your hands are shaking."

She glanced down at her hands wearily, relaxing her death grip slightly.

"Yeah, I know. I don't suppose you ever saw my grades at the academy, but…" she sighed, "Well, let's just say that there's more than _one _reason why I got sent to this squad. I-"

At that moment, three hollows materialized from the darkness, effectively stopping their conversation. Settling to the ground with a heavy _thump,_ their emotionless eyes stared at them from across the clearing, glowing with hunger. Next to them, Kane said softly,

"We'll discuss all our personal problems when we get out of this alive. For now…" He raised his sword to a combat stance, his hands also slightly quavering, he still yelled "…we've gotta win!"

He dashed forwards and swung his sword across, the air whistling around the metal, sliding inches below the hollow as it leapt into the air, flinging itself out of the way of the deadly weapon. Watching its jump from the corner of his eye, Kane pirouetted. His sword swung through where it should have been, but it wasn't there!

"Tsunao-kun! Watch out, it can fly!"

Dodging the thrust of the third hollow, he lightly jumped a few feet into the air and brought his zanpakuto down with all his strength on the second hollow; it cut through like tissue paper. Before it had even finished disintegrating, he landed and rolled to the side, blocking another thrust from the third hollow and knocking off a tiny chip of its mask.

A great howl ripped its way from its lips, and it simply disappeared, reappearing behind Kane just as it launched a powerful blow, sending Kane flying into a tree, twigs and branches cascading down as he rammed into it.

"Tsunao-Taichou!" Hinoko cried, attempting to run to his side. From the side, she was bowled over as the first hollow flashed by, the wings it had sprouted cutting through the wind lethally. She turned to see the person that had pushed her out of the way.

"Nashiyo…san?"

"Damn it…Hinoko…" Nashiyo's eyes rolled into the back of her head, blood running down her side and onto Hinoko's hakama, staining it a dark red.

"Nashiyo-san!" Hinoko yelled frantically, "_Nashiyo–San_!"

* * *

><p>Across the clearing, Kane's fight was going from bad to worse. "You're just too darned fast!" He panted, "I've know that move, I recognize it. It's…sonido!"<p>

Again he was struck from the blind side, sent flying a dozen feet across the clearing, smashing into a tree with a crack. Why hadn't they taught them more about hollow techniques at the academy! It all seemed so long ago now, five minutes out of hundreds of hours at the academy. What was the secret?

Once again, he was knocked a dozen feet away from the large hollow, its roars starting to sound like victory. If he kept getting knocked around like this, he knew he was going to die, and soon. He wished he could think over the buzzing noise the hollow was making! Wait—noise? Sound! That had to be it!

As the hollow approached him again, he tuned his ears, listening… carefully…carefully…carefully…_"zzzzzzz..."_ he could hear it! He whipped his sword behind him , neatly severing the large claw that had been heading for his back, and sending the hollow roaring back in pain.

He grinned; he had done it! He had heard it! Suddenly, the words from his class sprung to mind; _The hallmark of an incomplete sonido is a preliminary buzzing near the target. A more experienced practicioner can eliminate this buzzing, but a normal hollow, unintelligent, will not be capable._

Kane's grin widened; his classes hadn't been useless after all! Again he listened, and ready this time, he pirouetted again, slicing off another of its oversized claws an instant before it struck.

_Only 8 more to go,_ he thought, gritting his teeth as another attack rocketed from the side.

Across the field, Hinoko was drenched with sweat; the hollow would attack, slamming her back a dozen meters as her feet dug into the ground, then almost lazily fly up into the sky out of her reach before coming in for another pass.

Panting, she tried in vain to think of a way to beat it. She couldn't kill it with her zanpakuto, so…kido was her only option. Her heart tightened as she remembered her classes. In all seven years of school, she hadn't been able to cast a single successful kido-but now she had to! She didn't have time to think! Gritting her teeth, she braced herself for another pass.

This time, as the hollow swept in for another attack, she angled her zanpakuto to the side, and leapt out of the way; Instead of pushing her back, it struck her sword and glanced off, setting her zanpakuto reverberating with a deep, almost unhearable note. Sliding off, the hollows wings dragged against the dirt for a dozen feet before it managed to flap it's way akwardly back into the sky. _Concentrate_, Hinoko thought, _Center myself, and the kido will flow._

Staring intensely up at the hollow above, she raised her hand, focusing all her will to her palms. _Just this once!...__Concentrate!_

The words seemed to spill from her mouth of their own accord, _"Ye lord! M__ask of blood and flesh, all creation…" _The hollow's eyes flashed; Could it understand her? "Flutter_ of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!" _The hollow's eyes narrowed; It must understand her! Any hope that it might flee were dashed as it flew into a dive, arrowing toward the ground, _"Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" _Abruptly, she realized…instead of going after her again, it was aiming for Nashiyo-san! Her face blanched white, " Shakkahō!" She shouted, as time seemed to stop as the hollow got nearer to the unconscious girl lying on the ground. Without any defenses, she'd be cut in half!

And nothing happened. Her eyes widened in desperation; she had done everything right, she knew she had! She _knew_ it! Frantically, she repeated the words, their meaning merging as they flew from her mouth, "Shakkahō!" she yelled again, "Shakkahō!"

She didn't notice the base note reverberating from her sword was getting higher pitched each time she said the name of the kido; " Shakkahō! Shakkahō! Shakkahō!" She was repeating it over and over, as tears began to fall from her eyes; she was going to fail _again? _She began to sob...but her hand fell to the zanpakuto at her side, and a rush of warmth filled her up to the brim.

_No!_ She thought, _ Not again! Not this time!_

She yanked her zanpakuto out, thrusting towards the hollow, now mere feet from the prone girl; time seemed to slow as it drew closer.

With all that she could muster, she bellowed,

"SHAKKAHO!"

From the tip of her sword, a massive ball of fire erupted, crackling through the air as it slammed into the hollow, exploding into a blast of flame, destroying it in a tempest of fire. The blast didn't stop there, though; It burned onwards, carving a perfectly round hole through the foliage in the surrounding trees, finally bursting through the top and flaring into the sky above. Shining brightly across the sky, it could be seen for miles, even in the bright daylight. And then, with a blast that shook the ancient trees around her, it exploded.

And then she collapsed.

* * *

><p>Hinoko woke to a splash of cold water. Groaning, she rolled over, bloodshot eyes taking in the low light as she looked blearily around; where was she? Why did it smell like…leaves? With a flash, the fight came back to her and she leapt to her feet, her hands clenching around her zanpakuto.<p>

"Relax, it's all over." She turned with a start, and saw Kane sitting on a protruding tree root; his sword leaned casually against his leg. Behind him, Nashiyo laid prone, Amaya holding her arms above her side, the yellow light of a healing kido glowing through her fingers. Hinoko stumbled over to her side.

"Will she be alright?"

Amaya looked up from her patient, "Yes, she will be fine. She is only lightly wounded; lots of blood, not so much damage." She looked down again, "She is coming around."

Slowly, Nashiyo's eyes cracked open, vaguely looking up at the white hair of the person above her.

"…A-Amaya?"

"Yes, I am here. Remain still; your injuries will be healed soon."

"…Hollows?"

Amaya raised her eyebrows, "The hollows have been destroyed." Looking thoughtful for a moment, she turned towards Kane, now absently whistling, gazing up at a duet of birds singing in the tree branches.

"Captain Tsunao."

"Hmm?" he glanced down at her, "Yeah?"

"Captain Mitasuki."

"Yes?"

"Captain Suzuki."

"…?"

"I…must apologize; I was ambushed by hollows, it took me too long to finish them. It is my fault you were injured. A mere five of such caliber should not have taken so long."

"It's fine, there was nothing you could have done—" Kane paused, then his eyes widened, "Wait… FIVE? Five Hollows!"

He sputtered, and Hinoko gasped, _"Really?"_

Amaya shook her head dismissively, "They were what are called 'small fry', they should _not_ have taken so long. I am…out of practice, I was…rusty."

Eyes still wide, Kane and Hinoko looked at the girl he had just realized was more powerful than the three of them combined, and almost simultaneously they cleared their throats. "N-no, no…that's ok," Kane finally said, laughing weakly, "You did great. Without you, we would've died for sure when those five got here."

"But—" Amaya began to speak again, but Hinoko cut her off, "I won't accept any apology!" she said, suddenly commanding. For a long moment, Hinoko gazed down at her, then blew air from her mouth, "You did a magnificent job, understand?"

Amaya looked at her for a long moment before finally nodding, "Thank you…captain."

They sat in silence for a brief moment, before a faint sound came from Nashiyo.

"What was that, Nashiyo?" Kane asked.

"Ro…nin?"

All three of their eyes widened as they looked at each other. "In all that light and confusion, I completely forgot! Ronin might still be somewhere out there, we have to go look for him!"

Again, Nashiyo said something, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "No…ro…nin!"

She managed to lift her arm weakly, pointing to the north; They looked up to see the tall man leaning against a tree a dozen feet away. He chuckled slightly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Anyone miss me?"

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, they were still trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Eventually, however, they managed to convince (Or perhaps annoy, Hinoko thought) him into revealing his story.<p>

"Fine," he had finally said, "The hollow grabbed me and tried to snap my neck. It…didn't take." He paused for a moment in thought, then continued, "Apparently it thought I was dead, because it turned around for long enough for me to get the jump on it, so I killed it. After that I… didn't know the layout of the woods very well, so I wandered around until I found you." His eyes darkened as he spoke, and he turned away when he finished, glaring off into the trees.

Kane sighed in exasperation, "Well…fine. I guess as long as you killed it, we'll be okay. That makes one for you, one for Hinoko, two for me and...five for Amaya!"

"I wasn't aware we were keeping count", Nashiyo muttered from below, too quietly for him to hear. He looked over at Amaya inquisitively, "For now, let's go back to the fortress?" he phrased it as a question, looking down at Nashiyo's blood-stained robes.

"Yes, I believe she can be moved now." Amaya stood, dusting her hands on her robes, "The external signs of her injury have faded, now her mind merely re-synchronize with her spirit. Best solution? Rest in bed."

She bent over, slinging the unconscious girl over her shoulder. "Let us return."

* * *

><p>They managed to find a room to place Nashiyo into, and immediately after the rest of the group gathered in the lounge to talk.<p>

So a half hour later, everyone was surprised at who stumbled back into the room.

"Ah, Nashiyo, so nice of you to drop by," Kane said with a crooked smile. "Are you sure you should be up?"

Stumbling to couch, she fell back with a groan, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, shut up."

"I just want to be sure, since I didn't do a good enough job of protecting you."

She looked at him with a quizzical expression, and then frowned, "Oh, shut up. I know what you're doing. Becoming a squad leader right out of graduation would be another feather in your cap, right? Just what I should have expected from the 'Great Kane Tsunao', protector of the innocent, friend to women, children and small forest creatures…" She raised her eyebrows challengingly, "Did I miss anything?"

His eyes hardened, but his voice continued unchanged "No, it's not that at all, I just don't feel that I'm qualified-" She cut him off,

"In case you didn't notice, ALL of us just graduated recently. Stop reminding us, please."

Hinoko broke in, "I think he seems like a great commander! But…" she paused for a moment, then looked up at him, "Kane, is it true that you've graduated at the same time as the rest of us?" He nodded, a pensive look on his face. "Isn't a big part of joining one of the squads learning things you can't be taught in the academy? If we're all just graduates, how are we supposed to get any better? How are we supposed to learn what we need to learn to stay alive, if none of us even know how to get into a real squad?" she said, a touch of complaint in her voice.

"We're not s_upposed_ to learn." Nashiyo said, "It's just like I said; we're all just supposed to lie down and die like good little children, and _I'm not taking it!_" she sounded like she was about to explode, raging heatedly, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to-" suddenly she paused with a groan, clutching at her side.

"What?" Ronin cut in, sounding bored, "If you go out on your own, you'll just get hunted down by hollows and killed. We've already seen that you can't take them on by yourself." He smirked.

"_Hey!_" She replied heatedly, "I have just as much experience as the rest of you, so you watch what you say, I didn't take that from the teachers in the academy, and I'm not going to take it from a bunch of idiots graduates like you!"

For a long moment, the two of them eyed daggers at one another, until they were interrupted by Kane, realization slowly appearing on his face, "Wait a minute."

Immediately both their death glares flashed to him, and he hastened to explain, "I just realized something, I know just about everyone in my year, at least by face if not by name. But there was one person I didn't recognize when I got here. In fact, I've never even seen her before." He glanced over at the white haired girl, who was staring at the same painting, impassive as before. "Where did you come from, Amaya?"

"Yeah," Nashiyo managed to say, straightening up in her seat, "Where _did_ you come from, anyway?"

Shifting her eyes over to them, she let out a small sigh and stood up; for the first time actually seeming to _look _at the others standing in the room. She seemed to consider her words, she finally spoke.

"14th seat, sixth squad, Amaya Ekairi." She stopped, and then, with a small nod, sat back down. Hinoko just stared at her.

"W-w-wait…you're a _seated officer?_" Hinoko squeaked, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know!" She said, frantically bowing repeatedly until a hand settled on her shoulder

"Stand, Hinoko-san. Formality is...not necessary." The corners of her mouth twitched. "In any case, I am no longer the 14th seat. I was reassigned here as a 'Combat Healer'." There seemed to be a trace of humor in her voice as she continued, "In any case, as a captain, you now outrank me."

Nashiyo found herself stuttering, and frowned because of it; "B-but why? Why assign a fully seated officer to this squad? Why did you agree? And what do you mean, she now outranks you? We're all captains here together, aren't we?"

"I had no choice," Amaya said simply, ignoring the final question, "It is not a problem. I enjoy the painting." She indicated back to a painting hanging on the wall, her mouth twitching again.

Hinoko only stared, but Kane approached her, his face serious, "Everything is so confusing here, and with our conflicting ideas and commands…we need someone who will lead us. Someone with experience, that can help us survive for long enough to get back to the Seireitei and figure this whole mess out." He bowed formally, "Please, would you become our captain?"

For a long moment she pondered the question, and finally responded.

"No." she said, and turned back to the painting.

"What." He stared, collecting himself, "But…you're clearly the most experienced! You killed five hollows all on your own! Please!"

She looked back with a bit of pity in her eyes; "Apologies, but my answer must be no."

"But-"

"It is not my choice to make, Tsunao-kun. The rules concerning the role of a healer were laid down over 2000 years ago, it would be nearly impossible to change them now, especially without approval from the Central Forty Six. At the most, I might be considered the lieutenant. But even then, with the current ranking situation, the problems would not be solved."

She paused, then looked at each of them carefully, then inspected the group as a whole, "On the other hand, it is true that a leader is necessary. I suggest that you choose one amongst yourselves, at least until contact with C46 can be restored."

"…restored?"

Hinoko nodded, "When I first got here, I tried calling for a Hell Butterfly...but it wouldn't work. Later I saw Amaya tying the same thing just before we heard the hollows...it didn't work, did it?"

Amaya nodded reluctantly, "I attempted to summon a Hell Butterfly when the hollows first appeared. My attempts failed. For the present, we must assume that we have entered a spiritual high pressure zone, a phenomenon which could also explain the difficulty we faced in locating the hollows." She frowned slightly, "Until communications can be restored, we cannot request to return to the Seireitei, so we cannot return at all. I will continue to pursue the matter. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Without another word, she stood, plucked the painting from the wall, and disappeared from the room in a swish of air, leaving the group staring at the empty space where she had been.

The room fell silent for a long moment.

"Well, I vote for Tsunao-Kun!" said Hinoko with a smile, cracking the silence "He was so cool today, he killed those two hollows all on his own!"

"I don't care." Ronin stalked over to a window and looked down through the leaves, face blank.

"I—Thank you for your confidence, Miako-san, but I was terrified the whole time I was out there, and the way you killed your hollow was awesome, too! Blew it into dust, it even knocked me off my feet. I've never seen a kido that powerful before."

"What?" Hinoko said, surprised, "But I can't cast—"

"I vote for Kane-San."

Their heads swiveled to look at Nashiyo, whose gaze was boring holes into the floor.

"I-uh-…Thank you, Nashiyo-San."

Her eyes darted back up at him, and she blew the hair out of her eyes, irritated, "I'm not doing it for _you_, idiot. But Amaya is right. We need a leader, and it seems like for the moment, you're elected."

"I-"

"Don't get the wrong idea! I think you're an egotistical, misogynistic idiot. But…" She glared back at the floor, "For the moment, you're my best chance for getting back to the Seireitei in one piece. And that's all that matters to me."

Standing, she flexed her back, sending a chorus of pops and cracks from her back, "Now, if you don't mind, '_sir', _I'm going to my room. I'm tired."

And without another word, she walked from the room, leaving a bewildered Kane and Hinoko behind.

Sometime later, after a long discussion that ended up not deciding anything more than what they already knew, Kane and Hinoko retired to their rooms, promising to resume their talk the next day. Unnoticed, Ronin continued to stand in the large space, letting the darkness caress his features.

_Finally, alone._

He continued staring out the window, watching the tiny movements outside. They had thought they were being stealthy…but they couldn't escape his eyes. Soon, nobody would see them ever again. But first, he needed information.

Oddly enough, in contrast to the opinions of the others, he couldn't be happier with the situation he had been placed in. Protected by the name of the Gotei 13(or 14…he shook his head. It didn't really matter.) In any case, he had protection, and at the same time he had privacy. A more ideal situation couldn't possibly arise, and he silently blessed his fortune in being assigned to this tiny unit. He didn't know what he would have done had he been assigned to be near a captain. Probably run, he supposed. He guessed that if they knew who he was, they wouldn't exactly be pleased to see him, good record or not.

Outside, the rustling of leaves grew louder, their confidence growing as he showed no response to their presence.

_Oh well. Might as well take care of it now…_

With barely a hiss of metal, he flung himself through the window, falling into the forest below. For a long moment the bushes shook wildly…and then they stopped moving at all.

Peace once again settled over the quiet forest.

* * *

><p><em>New Notes: This is the completely refurbished version of my Bleach fanfic, which will hopefully be, as they say in anime a lot, 'like a whole new person' since you last saw it. I'm really looking for beta readers though, if you want to give it a try i'd appreciate it, although i know it can be tough work.<em>

_Old Author's Note: Kane is pronounced Kah-Nay. But you can pronounce it as Kay-n if you really want to. I don't mind._

_Tell me of any errors you spot, or if there are any grammatical points you would like to clear up, I'll gladly accept any advice._

_~Your Author._


	3. Chapter 3

_Strange Ceiling_

…

…_Strange Ceiling._

Hinoko stares dreamily up at the white ceiling, a dozen feet above.

…_Strange Ceiling?_

She has a bizarre feeling that she should be freaking out at this thought. Maybe amnesia, or forgetting everything that had happened yesterday.

_That would be stupid_, she thinks. As her mind slowly clears of the fog of sleep, she can't think of anyone that would act like that. She remembers everything! And before she is even fully awake, she's already thinking of questions.

But…she lets her head fall to the side, her eyes slowly moving over the window and then the trees outside. The sun is shining on her with a warm glow, and she remembers with a relaxed smile that there was no need to rush. For the first time in six years, she has time to kill.

Eventually she sits up and stretches, letting out a long relaxed moan, and lets her hands drift over the sides of her curiously comfortable bed. She had found it-and her room-late last night, just before the last of the evening's light had faded. At the time, she had wanted to ask someone how it was possible that the _building_ had survived the passing years, let alone a bed. Nobody could answer her questions, of course.

She had fallen asleep with the hope that the sun might illuminate, if not _the _answer_, _perhaps _an _answer, but the morning only multiplied her questions. How could this building have survived for so long? More than that, how could such a vast place be so abandoned? She rubbed her hands over the engravings on the side of the bed, then shook her head and twisted to reach for her Zanpakuto. Even if She didn't have all the answers, she needed to get rid of some of her questions or she felt like her head would explode.

Looking down at the strangely shaped object, she grunted; "Get out of there; you have some answering to do."

Slowly, the response comes. Unfortunately, when it comes, it is of little help.

***Yawn*…**

"C'mon, wake up, lazy!" A series of noises rings into her mind before her zanpakuto finally answers.

…**Couldn't it wait until later? Or maybe tomorrow...or next week…**

The voice trails back off into sleep, but Hinoko rattles it against the desk, irritated.

"No! I want some answers," she says, persistently, "What _happened_ yesterday? Six years of only passing my kido classes by flirting with the teacher, and then the first week out of school and you pull something like that off? Why didn't you show me it earlier? I want some answers!"

**Oh. That. Well, if that's all…**

"…I guess I could help you a little."

The sword glowed brighter, and then a girl slowly formed in the air next to the bed. Finally the light faded, and she gently dropped to the floor.

"Mugen no Hinode." Hinoko grins as her zanpakuto spirit smiles down at her.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

><p>"So not only don't you know what I did to make that happen, you don't even know where the power to fuel a kido that large could have come from?" Hinoko raised an eyebrow, "What happened to being the 'immortal infallible zanpakuto spirit'?"<p>

"I'm not—We're not—I don't know!"

"How is that possible! I _know _you're not lying to me; I know you! How could you not _know_ what happened!"

Well…" the sword's face twisted for a long moment, finally saying, "I guess that now that you're of age, It's time for you to know."

Hinoko's eyes narrowed, sensing a deception, "What do you mean by that? Know what?"

"Well, technically…we're not immortal." The words came out in a rush.

"Huh?"

"We run in families with children, usually. When a child with power is born, we are born with them and guide them until they unlock that power."

Hinoko took this in for a moment, rapidly running over the implications in her head, "But…that's horrible. You're with them even when they don't even know you even exist?"

The blade shook her head quickly, but with a trace of a smile, "We're… asleep. When our owner unlocked their zanpakuto for the first time, we awaken; that's the lonliest time for us, when we're awake but our owner can't or won't speak with us. And even after you realize we exist, we are only as aware of our own power as our masters; we just see more of the hints than our masters do. We see…a path, but not to where it leads."

"But-"

"If that wasn't the truth, don't you think that the friendlier zanpakuto spirits would just tell their masters all the answers?" The tall girl shook her head dismissively, "No, we're not infallible, which is good, because otherwise we'd probably go crazy. But at the same time, I don't know any more than you do how you were able to cast that kido. I _think_ that most of the fuel for it came from me, but as for where it actually _came_ from…" She shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Spinning to face the open window, Hinoko's face twisted into a slight frown, "Well, that doesn't help me at all." She scratched her chin, "I need to think about this…maybe I can answer some other questions as I think about it!"

Spinning again, she faced her Zanpakuto with a cheerful grin, "Let's explore!"

* * *

><p>Kane woke instantly, sitting straight up in bed as he tried to identify what had roused him from sleep. Taking deep breaths, he forced his heartbeat to slow as he glanced around the room; nothing seemed out of the ordinary…nothing was suspicious. No suspicious sounds…but his body didn't lie. He listened carefully; No sound.<p>

Nothing.

He strained for to hear anything, but the thing he could hear was the beating of his own heart. Immediately, he began to struggle his body into his shinigami uniform and his zanpakuto, strapping it across his shoulders as he tripped his way out the door.

He had heard something like this only once, years before, in the 76th district. The time that he had come near a tremendous battle between over a hundred hollows… and the captain of the 11th squad. He had been miles away, and _still_ the forest had been as still as death, the pressure crushing down on him like a pile of bricks on his chest.

But…here, he didn't feel a thing.

* * *

><p>"Woah!" Hinoko called as she bounced on her heels with excitement, "Look at that! There's something sticking straight out of the trees! It's huge!"<p>

Her zanpakuto ran up the final few steps before skidding to a halt.

"That's impossible," she said, eyes wide, "The geography in this area…the trees…everything is all wrong for a something like that!"

Across from them, just a few hundred feet away, was a massive spur of stone, arcing high into the air, above the trees, with long streamers of moss and ivy cascading from its surface. Its height was such that it even extended a good distance above the tower they were in, which was the only other manmade object visible to the horizon.

"Wow…" She breathed as she looked over the majestic arc of stone, the vines blowing loosely in the wind, connecting it like ropes to the forest that ran from horizon to horizon. They had found the steps to the tower only a few minutes after the start of their exploration, its steps and walls, like everything else, made of a pale white stone and extending far above the canopy of the trees.

"From here you can hardly believe we're even in Soul Society. Billions of people, and here we're all alone."

They sat in silence for a long moment, letting the wind rustle their hair as they gazed down over their new home. Finally, Hinode broke the silence,

"Well, not _completely_ alone…"

Hinoko peeked up and saw a smile on Hinode's face, and her smile answered in return as she took her hand and started back towards the stairwell.

"C'mon. Let's keep exploring."

* * *

><p>A violin plays softly, but no one can hear it. Its quiet strains echo back to a slightly different time…<em>six years before.<em>

OOO

OO

O

As Hinoko walks into the room, she notices the moment of silence as they notice her…followed by the same small conversations as before.

One small moment of acknowledgement, then nothing.

_ At least it's better than before. So far, they've kept their promise…_

Her face twisted back into its now-usual frown. She hadn't meant for things to turn out this way. Where had she gone wrong? She had thought everything would be alright, but apparently she couldn't have been more wrong.

After a year of being picked on by those in her class that were bigger or stronger than her, she had made the decision to have a little bet with them. One day, after class, she had boldly approached the leader of the bullies, a hulking man going by the name of Toji.

"A bet? What makes you think that we'd agree to anything you say?"

"Because it'll help you as much as it helps me. And if I lose…well, you'll be just as happy as you are now."

He glanced around the room, checking the mood, and how everyone carefully avoided his gaze, and then grinned at his own sense of power.

"…fine. I'm listening."

Hinoko smiled internally, but maintained her emotionless façade outside, "Here's the deal. In two weeks, we have our midsummer test; the test that determines our career track for the next six months. Now here's the bet; if I can't get 50 points more than you do, I'll let you do everything you're doing right now without going to the teachers, ever."

After a moment of thought, Toji's sullen face spread into a smile of anticipation, and she continued, setting the plan into motion with utmost care.

"However, if I _can_ score over 50 points over you, you and everyone else in the class will _leave me alone!_" she finished, eyes crackling with all the spiritual power she could muster.

Toji took a long moment to stroke his chin, looking around at the class with all eyes on him before nodding ambivalently, and raising his arms, "What do you say?"

In one voice, the class responded, "AGREED!"

* * *

><p><em>Two weeks later<em>

With a smirk, Toji slammed his test down on Hinoko's desk and stood back, arms folded across his chest. "So, are you ready for the beginning of your five years from hell?"

On the page, in glossy ink, was the number _100_.

Hinoko didn't even bother looking up from her test sheet as he sauntered over to her side.

"So, what do you think of that, little girl?"

She glanced over, "I think that you cheated."

He laughed, "You never said that was against the rules," he said, reinforcing his words with an unpleasant smile, "What shall I do to you first? Head in the bathroom is an old favorite. Or should I just dangle you from the west watchtower again? If you can't call for a teacher, I wonder how long it will take them to find you this time?"

Hinoko closed her eyes, calming her heartbeat; _wait for it, wait for it…_, "Don't you think you're forgetting something?"

"Don't tell me you're going to back out now!" he leaned back on his heels, smiling indulgently, "Hell, 2 weeks of fun and I might even let you yell for a teacher every once in a while!"

His laugh was cut short as Hinoko slammed down her test paper, her eyes like ice.

"You forgot something. You forgot that you're not the only one who didn't claim to play fair. And I play to _win_."

On the test paper, in gleaming ink, was the score of _150._

* * *

><p>When she had made the bet, she had thought it was the only thing that could save her from 6 years of hell before she became a real <em>Shinigami<em>. But now, only a few months later, she wasn't sure if she had known what Hell really was. Hell suddenly seemed a lot less like an eternity of physical punishment and a whole lot more like a world where nobody, not even the people she had once considered to be her friends, would speak to her for fear of retribution from Toji and his band of thugs.

Even if she tried to start a conversation, they would merely turn away, acting as if she wasn't even in the room. _So this is what it feels like to be a whole, _she thought as her face twisted even further into a frown,_You can scream in their faces and they won't even hear what you say…_

Her face twisting into a bizarre mixture of fake smile and very real grimace, she silently excused herself from the room and made her way to the restroom, turning off the lights as she entered. There, in perfect silence and darkness, she imagined for a long moment that she was dead. Gone, for good. Would it be so bad? Reincarnated somewhere on earth, a new life…

In the blackness, a few aching words slipped from her lips.

"Someone…anyone…can't you just hear me…just once?"

The darkness was untouched by her words, watching silently, coldly.

"…anyone…"

**_FINALLY._**

Her eyes flew open as her gaze flew around the room, suddenly illuminated with a faint light.

"Who's there?"

**_Finally, you hear my voice._**

"Who is that!"

The voice sounded young, but in it was a strange echo that seemed like it was more ancient than the stone walls that surrounded her.

**_It is I. Do you not know my name, child? _**After a pause, a long sigh rang from every direction;** _I suppose for you to know it immediately is too much to wish for…_**

Hinoko slowly spun around and stopped. The voice was coming from everywhere…and abruptly she realized that the light that was illuminating the room left no shadows, meaning that the source…was her. Which meant…she closed her eyes tight, thinking back to all of the lessons she had ever been given.

"M..."

The voice seemed surprised,** _Don't strain yourself, child. Patience is key…_**

"Mu…"

**_Child! _**The voice sounded alarmed now,** _Are you really so desperate that you would risk your life for a name?_**

"Your name…" Hinoko said, panting wearily, "My name…"

**_Your name is… Miako Hinoko._**

A faint smile appeared on Hinoko's face and all the stress disappeared instantly.

"Your name is…Mugen no Hinode!"

The room flashed with a burst of spiritual pressure and light, and the noise in her mind quickly grew from a whisper to a roar of thunder.

**_You call my name in our first meeting. Truly, our meeting was destiny. I feel full…of power…your power? _**The voice paused for a long moment,** _I sense loneliness in you, child. Pain. Perhaps…I could alleviate that pain?_**

Hinoko's eyes widened, and after a moment she nodded, "If there's any way…"

**_I see. Very well. My fate is to be whatever you need me to be. And if you need a friend…_**

The light coalesced before Hinoko, spinning and forming, finally taking its shape, her nose millimeters from Hinoko's own, her eyes crinkling into a smile,

"Then a friend you shall have."

O

OO

OOO

In the present day, Hinoko watched as her friend ran from window to window, making small noises of wonder at the tree-shaded vista presented in each. How had she been so lucky? Not only had her small bet earned her 6 years of peace, it had gifted her with the best friend she could have possibly been given. A friend who understood everything in her heart.

She chuckled at that thought…Mugen no Hinode had been willing to be a friend in the beginning, but explaining what friendship was had taken her the better part of two years, a process not helped by the fact that Hinode refused to show herself when anyone else was present.

Speaking of which, the hall suddenly seemed very empty…Hinoko checked her side, and found the warm presence of her zanpakuto spirit nestled once again inside her sword. She sighed; even after four years, her friend refused to explain certain things…Hinoko paused. Just that day, her sword had explained that some things even she didn't know. Maybe it was just something she did without even knowing why she did it. How embarrassing would it be if you automatically found yourself back in your house whenever anyone else approached you?

Hinoko made up her mind to apologize to her for pesting her about it, later. For now, though…

"Hello."

Her voice echoed down the hall a little ways, but there was no response.

"I know you're there…"

She heard a disgruntled sigh, and finally Nashiyo emerged from a doorway, her face pinched with disappointment.

"How do you do that?"

Hinoko just smiled, "What are you doing here, Nashiyo-san? I didn't see you this morning."

"Exploring," she gestured to the long hall of windows, "Just like you are, I bet. This place is pretty crazy, huh?"

Hinoko nodded, "Did you see the rock protrusion?"

"…protrusion?"

"Uh, outcropping. Cliff. You can only see it from the top of the tower, but it's amazing, it must be five hundred feet tall. We couldn't figure it out. Do you suppose that it's why these buildings are here? It seems like its right in the middle of everything."

Nashiyo looked down, deep in thought, for a long moment...

"Weird. Oh well, found anything else cool?"

"Uh, not really. Lots of empty rooms, beds, places to eat...really, what do you think this place could have been for? It looks like it was meant to hold as many people as the Seireitei, maybe more! But everything is abandoned, and it looks like it has been empty for hundreds of years."

Nashiyo fingered the engravings on the windows, eyeing the crossed lines that made up what had once held the glass in the windows. Her eyes deepened, and she turned to Hinoko with a strange look in her eye, "Hinoko…why do you think-"

"Nashiyo!"

Instantly she froze, hand clenching around the window frame, making it creak with strain. From behind her a tall man approached, a somewhat forced smile on his face.

"There you are."

"Tsunao-san?"

Kane looked over Nashiyo's head, and his eyes sparkled, "Oh, Hinoko! I didn't see you there! How are you today?"

"Very well, thank you," she replied, bobbing her head. Kane nodded absently, turning himself to face the other girl, his face serious.

"And you, Nashiyo? Feeling better?"

"I'm fine." She replied, shortly, not meeting his eyes.

He stared at her for a moment, "I just wanted to apologize…"

Nashiyo's emotionless face faltered for a moment, "What do you mean?"

He cocked his head to the side, "I'm sorry you got hurt yesterday." He bowed low, looking up at her apologetically, "I won't let it happen again."

Her face, which had slowly been loosening, abruptly tightened; "What do you mean by that?"

"I was the only man present when we were fighting, and I failed to protect the two of you." He paused, "In fact, I should apologize to you as well, Hinoko; you never should have been put into the line of fire. I'm sorry."

He bowed a second time, not noticing Nashiyo's increasingly red face, "Now, I have to go find Amaya, I need to talk to her about food and training while we're here. Like you said," he smiled at Hinoko, "We need to get back to the Seireitei."

Turning, he made it 5 steps before he was stopped dead by two things. One was a voice;

"_Scheissekopf!"_

The other was a bolt of spirit energy slamming into the wall two inches to the right of his head.

He gaped at it for a long moment, before being wrenched around by Nashiyo's hands. He stared at her furious glare quizzically, "What…?"

She leveled an accusing finger directly at his face, "I've heard about you, _Tsunao Kane._ I knew I recognized that name, and I'm right, aren't I? You're not third class at all, you're one of those first class morons! Hell, as far as I know you might be Families, flirting around in the third class to 'help the immmigrants' or some nonsense?"

He put up a hand weakly, "I-"

"_No!_ I've _heard _of you, remember? I know all about your little ideas of what women should be, and I don't like them _one bit_. We should all just be medics, or _maybe_ deal with the smallest of hollows as the _men_deal with anything bigger than that? You," she spat, "Are _exactly_ was worst about the world before we started to realize the truth about women, and what women can do."

"I just wanted to apologize-"

"You can take your apology and you can shove it up your _shiri!_ I hate people like you!" She leveled a cold glare at him, "Next time, I'll show you that women are just as powerful as _any_ man."

With a flash of cold spirit pressure she stomped out of the room. Leaving Kane and Hinoko staring after her for a long moment.

"…Does she do that a lot?" Kane finally managed, still staring after her, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"Storm out of places."

"Well, she likes to make an exit."

Kane sighed and rubbed his eyes, "How do you deal with her? It's only been one day and she already…dislikes me."

Hinoko laughed, "You get used to her. She transferred into the academy in the 5th year; apparently she had enough power to skip most of the training regimen, but not all of it. We never talked much, but she was one of the only people that would talk to me at all, so we became…" she paused, then shrugged, "Well, friends, I guess."

Kane shifted uncomfortably and made his way to the window, looking down at the forest with a conflicted expression on his face. Hinoko followed him curiously,

"Is it true? That you're a member of class one?"

He glanced over, then nodded sheepishly, "Yes, I graduated First Class."

Hinoko nodded, but her expression remained curious, "Why would you be assigned here with us if you graduated first class? You should be a ranked officer already, or near it, anyway."

Kane shrugged, "I don't know."

Hinoko shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly for a long moment, "Well, I guess I'll see you later then?"

He nodded again, not trusting his voice to respond. Several long minutes after Hinoko was gone, he spun and slammed his fist into the wall, "Damn, damn, dammit…can't do anything right."

He punched the wall again, his breathing heavy. How could one person take him to misery so quickly? He shook his head angrily. _I'm not doing anything wrong!_

He only wished he could convince himself.

Closing his eyes for a long moment, he took several deep breaths to calm himself, and forced a smile back onto his face. He had to go talk to Amaya, after all.

His smile in full force again, he slowly walked down the hallway.

Nashiyo paced from one end of the room to the other, twisting her hair around her finger, breathing heavily. How could she have been so stupid? She had only been here for a day, and already she had practically told them everything!

She rolled her cross in her hands nervously, pausing for a moment to inspect its smooth swoops and turns.

But once again, His voice came into her head, and she clenched the cross so tightly that she would have feared it would break, were it made of normal materials. Hinoko had seen her bow…she knew that much. All she could hope is she just thought it was a part of a kido of some sort.

Suddenly, all the energy seemed to run from her body, and she sat down wearily, resting her head in her hands.

"I just want to go home," she muttered into her hands. After all, she couldn't stay here. The Soul Society did not accept her kind.

Behind both of them, unnoticed, the bolt of spiritual energy spun in place for several long minutes, maintained for far longer than it normally would survive. Suddenly, a giant force sucked it into the white stone.

Where a hole should have been, there was only smooth wall. The arrow was gone like it had never existed.

And somewhere else, deep in the belly of the fortress, something awoke.


	4. Chapter 4

__**Chapter 4**

** The River**

"Breathe in…and out. Breathe…"

Amaya's words ran over Hinoko like rainwater, washing calm into her pores, throughout her body, penetrating every part of her soul. Her whole being vibrated with a fantastic energy, filling her, supporting her. Encouraging her. It reminded her of her old lessons…

In…and out.

In…and out.

The inside of her eyelids was covered with a flaming contortion of brightness. It was strange, immersing herself in the river like this. All she had learned from her teachers had taught her that doing so should be fatal. Yet here she was.

She had assumed that training with Amaya would be, at the best, more difficult than the academy training, and at the worst, a literal training from hell.

She couldn't have been further from the truth. When she entered the lounge (the same one she had met her squadmates in the day before) she was surprised to find the room cleared of the trash and garbage that had filled it earlier. Where it had been, now Amaya, Nashiyo, and Kane were sitting, eyes closed.

"Welcome, Hinoko. Welcome, Ronin. Sit down." She hadn't opening her eyes. Hinoko noted that, while Amaya was the picture of emotionless calm, Nashiyo and Kane could not quite manage to match her. Kane's face constantly twitched, as if a grin was trying to creep its way across his face at the absurdity of the situation; Nashiyo had an annoyed frown, her forehead pinched together in frustration.

Hinoko sat, followed by Ronin after a brief pause. Closing her eyes, Hinoko allowed her mind to wander…

* * *

><p>"<em>No, no, no, that's not it at all!" her instructor said, annoyed, "You're supposed to Bind it, not merge with it!"<em>

_Hinoko rubbed her aching head, "Maybe if you would stop yanking me out every time, I could actually make some progress…" she muttered._

"_NO!" Her instructor said, making Hinoko look up, eyes wide, "This last time, you almost immersed yourself entirely in the flow. That is something you must never do, Hinoko. To do so would mean death, for you and anyone around you."_

"_Then why does The River exist?" she said, plaintively, "What is it for, and why do I have it? Nobody else has to have this training."_

_Her instructor looked at her for a long moment, then muttered something, too quietly for her to hear._

"_What?"_

_Instructor glanced up, then away, "N__othing. It is not my place to tell you. Your governor will tell you everything when you come of age…and I've said too much already. Back to your training! Again! And this time, I don't want you to even _Touch _The River!"_

* * *

><p>Hinoko was brought back to reality as Amaya finally spoke;<p>

"Look within yourself. Similar to when you commune with your zanpakuto, but instead of looking for anything, look for the _lack_ of presence. Look for the center of nothing. That is where _your_ power resides."

Hinoko opened her eyes, "Amaya-san…are you sure we should be doing this? Isn't our power dangerous?"

"It is only dangerous if not handled properly. Any true shinigami must learn to control their power."

"But I was taught-"

"Do you feel that, Hinoko?" Amaya said abruptly, cutting her off. "If you pay close attention, you will feel a gentle energy surrounding you. This…formation, that we have formed; it was found to have power by an ancient sect of human kido practicioners known as the Quincy."

Across the pentagram, Nashiyo's eyes snapped open, "What did you say?"

Amaya's eyes finally opened, "Is this a training session or a public discussion? All that was meant was that, by arranging ourselves into this pattern, our spiritual energies will slightly align, and allow eachother some degree of protection…should you not be able to control the full brunt of your powers. Is this information sufficient?"

Somehow the seemingly simple and emotionless question radiated icy coolness, and Hinoko found herself only able to nod in agreement.

"Good. Then close your eyes, and do as I do. Breathe, Hinoko."

Again, silence, and Amaya spoke, her voice slow and deep,

"…breathe. In…and out. In…and out. In…"

…and out.

Her words continued on for a long time.

In…and out.

Behind her eyelids, the glowing grew brighter, and the sounds of the world grew dimmer, and dimmer…

In…and out.

And once again, Hinoko soaked herself in The River.

* * *

><p>When she finally returned, the sun had moved a long way across the sky; orange fading beams were shining through the western windows, illuminating the pentagon they had formed in glowing contrast.<p>

Silence pervaded everything.

So it was a shock when a voice rasped from beside her.

"Im…possible…" her eyes flashed to Amaya, and she noticed that she was pale; no, she was white. White as a sheet. "Not…possible..."

Her eyes were wide, seemed to be staring out into nothing.

"It shouldn't be possible. It shouldn't be…" she faded.

"You were right," Hinoko said, awed, "I went all the way in, and it didn't hurt at all!"

Amaya's eyes flashed up to hers.

"All…the way? No…that's impossible. Not on the first attempt!"

"Me too." Their eyes darted to Kane, his dark golden eyes locked on Amaya. "At least…I felt something."

A spark of disquiet entered Amaya's eyes. "What did you feel?"

He pondered the question. "It's hard to describe. It was as if…as if there was a pool of molten silver, covering me, going on almost forever. And beyond that, there was nothing, except it was…also something. Somehow, despite being completely different, they were…the same."

His shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. "I can't describe it any better than that."

An analytical expression appeared on Amaya's face, and she turned to Nashiyo and Ronin, both silently staring into space, "And you? I find it difficult to believe…"she cut herself off, "Did either of you experience anything out of the ordinary?"

Nashiyo glanced up at her, her frown twitching strangely on her face, "I don't believe I need to tell you anything." She looked around at the others, her face still twitching strangely, "If we're done with training…I'm going back to my room."

Without waiting for approval, she stood and stomped through the door.

Kane stared after her curiously, then turned back as Ronin also stood.

"Ronin, did you feel anything?"

Her jerked at the sound of his name, and glanced up at Kane, a strange expression also covering his face …before a smile formed, that was somehow blank and emotionless. Smoothly, he replied, "As with Nashiyo-San, I do not believe that it is necessary to share a personal experience. I, too, will be going. If you'll excuse me…?"

He waited until both Amaya and Kane nodded in approval, and then left the room, his footsteps beating out a steady pace.

But as they left, Kane's zanpakuto glowed faintly, and his eyes narrowed. He knew what he had seen— As Nashiyo had sprinted from the room, despite her showing all the signs of anger, just before she had left he had seen the hugest smile he had ever seen cross her face; in stark contrast to Nashiyo, Ronin's face had remained completely emotionless as he left. Emotionless, that is, except for his eyes; eyes filled with rage…and something more.

He was still thoughtful as he bid the Hinoko and Amaya good night.

* * *

><p>Behind him, Hinoko, the last student, finally rose from the floor and bowed to Amaya in thanks.<p>

"Thank you, Amaya-San. I never knew that such a thing was possible. But-" she yawned, "I'm a bit tired. I might just turn in for the day. It sure seems to have sped by quickly, don't you think?" She smiled, "Anyway, thank you again, Amaya-Sensei. See you tomorrow."

She hitched up her shinigami robes and meandered off back to her room, leaving Amaya alone, illuminated in the orange light of the setting sun shining down through the trees.

Only one thought ran through her mind, repeating again and again.

_That shouldn't have been possible._

That was all she had been able to think of, despite her excellent façade in front of the others. What they had experienced was…

_That…shouldn't have been p__ossible._

But what could she do? Somehow, the five of them had managed to help her do something no-one else had ever done…except her. And even more frightening…_on their first try._

_That shouldn't have been po__ssible._

She should tell them tomorrow, she thought. She should tell them tonight, even; rush up to their rooms, tell them what had happened, and then flee. Back to the Seireitei. Or Hueco Mundo. As far away as possible.

There was only one possibility she could think of. They had finally discovered her secret. But if they already knew, then no amount of running could save her.

Finally, she came to the only decision that made any sense to her; she would seem to do nothing, and in it, do something. She would watch, and wait. If they were really _His _constructs, then she would destroy them and flee, and hope that his parasites could not track her to Hueco Mundo. And if not…she shook her head. If not, then she would decide when the time came. Regardless, she would wait. There was no need to flee now, and raise his suspicions.

She relaxed; making the decision had always been the difficult part of her, once she had decided on what to do, the rest was simple. For now, she simply had to return to her room and rest.

Despite all of them feeling remarkably well, the five of them _had_ meditated for over five hours. Such training was wearing for the body as well as the soul.

She allowed herself a small smile; tomorrow, they would be wishing she had used a more traditional type of training instead.

But inside her, a small beast still quivered in fear; should _He_ find her, she knew her life would end slowly and painfully.

One does not escape Mayuri Kurotsuchi and get off lightly.

* * *

><p>Once again, Amaya's sleep was restless. Her dreams were stormy and dark, filled with flashes of memory. Memories that dragged her back...to her past.<p>

_So long a time had passed, the Girl had forgotten everything: even her own name. All she had ever known, it seemed, was running, fear, and helplessness._

_She continued to run…_

_She could not even remember what the Sun looked like. What was this "Sun", anyway? The word flew through her mind, but it brought with it nothing. It was a meaningless word, a nonsense syllable._

_But still, she ran, and ran, and ran, always only a step ahead of the thousands of hungry hollows that followed her. _

_She ran, and ran, and ran; with each step, she grew weaker, and the hollows that chased her grew closer…_

_Only because there were so many of them could she escape; driven by instinct, they would often pause to devour one another, slowing their pursuit until the violence quieted. She didn't know that; if she thought of it at all, she just thought they were toying with her. All she could do was run…_

_And then, the__ day she had been dreading finally came. All around her, hollows had gathered, blocking any hope of escape. Some were gnashing their teeth in hunger, some were mindlessly roaring at her. Their words and roars blended together into an orgy of rage and blood__._

_She whimpered and sank to her knees. There was no trace of fighting spirit left in her; all hope had disappeared long before. All that was left was the grim certainty that she was going to die._

_For some reason, tears began to slide down her cheeks. She __closed her eyes and shook in terror, waiting for the end. She would die here, unknown, nameless. _

_More tears and sobs shook her body as she laid face first in the sand. So great was her fear that she didn't even notice that it had gone silent around her. __She lay on the sand, crying out her empty soul up to the moon._

_She wasn't even surprised when a hand set itself gently on her shoulder._

So this is it,_ she thought, _time to die.

"…"

"…_Stand up, child."_

…_?_

_The voice again, command echoing and strange, "Ch__ild! Stand up. We don't have much time…We must go. I will not hurt you."_

_Weakly, she raised her head, staring into the blue eyes right next to her._

_And then, beneath those eyes, the skeletal bone covering her face._

_Too weary to comprehend, her eyes rolled__ up into her head, and she collapsed into the sand._

* * *

><p><em>When she awoke, she was warm.<em>_ That was the first thing she felt.__ She felt her heart beating, more strongly than she had any recollection of it __ever being. Nearby, she heard__ crackling, snapping, popping noise._

_Opening her eyes, sh__e found herself lying on her side; a few feet away was a small fire, the source of the noise. Around her was a pelt of some sort, draped across her body. Rubbing her eyes, sticky with sleep, she slowly sat up; she was in a small cave. Across from her was a__ tunnel, the light shining into the darkness, but the entrance fading into darkness._

_To her surprise, she felt good, if weak. She hunched closer to the fire, trying to warm the parts of her body that had been sticking out from beneath the__ fur__._

"_Ah. You a__re awake."_

_Her eyes flashed to the entrance of the room, and found a robed figure standing in the shadow. When had it gotten there? Its voice was that of a woman's. _Are there female hollows?_ Amaya wondered._

_She didn't suppose it mattered._

"_You were asleep __for almost a week, but your body seemed uninjured."_

_The woman's robes rustled, as if she was shifting from foot to foot._

"_What happened to you, I wonder?"_

_The way her voice was intoned, it seemed that she didn't expect an answer._

_So she answered. The last __spark of rebellion had been kindled by her survival._

"_I haven't slept since I came here."_

_The Robed figure approached, pausing at the other side of the fire._

"_And that has been many months…I have heard of you. 'The Wandering One'. "_

_The woman's robes __rustled again as she made her way around the fire, and Amaya crouched away from the person, whoever they were. However, woman did not argue. _

"_Look at me, child," she ordered, simply. The Girl stubbornly kept her face down._

_Instead of waiting, she simply r__eached out and seized her jaw; even her fingers were covered with cloth! The girl finally raised her eyes to look at her._

_Surprisingly, warm blue eyes looked back; only her eyes were showing; her face was covered in a gauzy fabric, just like the rest of he__r body. Only her eyes were uncovered._

_But they weren't the cold yellow eyes of a hollow. They were warm, comforting eyes, showing years of experience, and a deep sorrow that drew any resistance from Amaya's body like poison from a wound._

_At the sight of th__ose eyes, all her barriers crumbled; Amaya began to cry. Silently, the woman lifted her to her side, gently cradling her against her body, as Amaya cried long tears, tears of months of terror. As they drained from her body, she drew next to the woman, warm__th filling up her heart__ for the first time in her memory._

* * *

><p><em>Amaya's eyes were still wet when the woman began to speak to her.<em>

"_I can see you have been through much in your life, child, as short as it has been. You were lucky to have found me. I could not__ just let you die there, alone."_

_Her eyes seemed to look off into the distance for a moment as she said the word _alone_. She looked back at Amaya,_

"_You must leave this place soon, but I cannot simply toss you back into the wilderness unarmed. I must remain __here for a while longer, but I will give you what I can. It might seem like very little, but please know that it is the greatest gift I can give to you."_

_Her eyes seemed to shine in the darkness._

"_The only thing I can give to you is that small bit of wisdo__m that I have learned. The worlds, not just this one, but the world of humans, and the world of spirits, and any others that m__ight exist, are filled with empty desires. Many__ are slaves to these desires…weak men obey them mindlessly, craving only what __they can grasp in their greedy hands. They will try to force you to become like them, endlessly clawing towards the top, but inside, empty. " She gestured dismissively, "These people are fools. They think they act for themselves, but they are slaves. Slave__s to their own natures. In the end, they die alone, unwanted, and unloved.__"_

_She gazed up at the shadows flickering on the walls. _

"_In this respect, I believe that the youngest of hollows might be the most pure of all creatures. A mindless beast will not li__e about its nature; it will simply consume, without thought or emotion. Even most shinigami work for their own agendas, and they lie, and cheat, and steal, as much as the worst Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo."_

"_But there is another option. You don't need to jo__in in their game, their selfish race for the top, biting each other just for power. You can avoid their meaningless death, because you know the truth; that that which you are is not defined by any worthless trinket or wordly power, but instead by the thoug__hts of others. It is in your friends, and your allies, that you become immortal. Not by any power that can be gained on your own."_

"_Those are the ones that matter. They are the ones you must find. And until then, you must resist those who would attempt to drive you away from your true self. This true self is what you must save for those whom you will meet, a gift that they will treasure more than any worldly gift. And not only that, but discovering your true self will unlock a power like you have never known, a power that will help you to survive until you meet the ones fate has destined you to meet."_

_She was silent for a long minute, then glanced away from the fire, back to the Girl._

"_I will show you how."_

_She drew her legs beneath her, kneeling, facing the__ fire, shadows rippling across her eyes._

"_This place is my refuge. Sometimes, when I feel the constant fighting, the rage, the hate pressing in on me, I return here. The surrounding stone is laced with a special stone that blocks reiatsu… In this cave, awa__y from all else, I can find peace. And once I am here, I...close my eyes. I...breathe."_

_Her eyes closed, turning her into a statue, immobile as stone._

"_I breathe…in…and out. Like this. And then, let the rage bubble through you, and then, as your breath lea__ves you, feel the rage turning into energy, and escaping. Feel it escaping from your body, flowing freely from your soul and releasing into the wind..."_

_The woman began to glow, sparks of power beginning to rise from her body; the power grew larger and lar__ger, until finally it was a pillar of raging energy, blasting into the ceiling._

"_They are the ones for whom you bottle up your emotion!" She said, somehow still speaking quietly, yet still heard perfectly clearly by Amaya over the wind that flew from her b__ody, "Those are the only ones that matter, finding and defending those friends!"_

_Slowly the pillar of energy faded, drawing back into her body until once again, all was silent. Her eyes gazed into the distance; eventually, she drew them back to Amaya._

"_That's what I believe, anyway."_

_Slapping her hands on where her thighs would be, she stood, motioning Amaya to do the same._

"_Remember that. Find friends that are strong enough to defend you, and then become strong enough to defend them, and become, togeth__er, eternal."_

_She gathered her robes around herself, and strode towards the exit to the cave, gesturing for Amaya to do the same._

"_W-wait!" Amaya finally spoke, calling after the retreating figure, making her pause._

"_Why…are you helping me?" She asked._

_Gla__ncing back at her, the tall woman said to her, "Because you remind me of myself."_

_She strode out of the cave without another word._

_Chasing after her, Amaya stopped, speechless, as she came to the top of the largest cliff she had ever seen. Looking down ov__er the massive trees in the depths of Hueco Mundo, a sight few had seen and lived to tell about, for a moment she realized the mortality of humankind. Compared to these massive trees, humans were as frail and shortlived as mayflies._

_Then she ignored her th__oughts and rushed onwards after the woman, now almost a football field away from her. "W-wait up!"_

_Gasping for air, Amaya finally caught up to the woman, whose measured pace was eating up the distance at a deceptively rapid speed._

"_Wait!" she said, breathl__essly, "Where are you going!"_

"_A small distance from the cave," she replied, "It would be dangerous to open a garganta too close to my resting place. Not even the walls of that place would stop all traces of such a release of power. Hollows will gather, I__ would rather its location not become known."_

"_Open a what? A garganta? What's that?"_

_Abruptly, the woman stopped, and Amaya realized the forest had opened up onto a small meadow, grass somehow growing in the sparse moonlight._

"_A garganta is our name for a__ portal between worlds. Most hollows are incapable of opening a portal to the Soul Society…but it is possible. The Soul Society is the name of the place to which I am returning you. It is the place from where you came from; no normal human can travel to H__ueco Mundo as you have done."_

_The place where she came from…Amaya tried to think back. So much had happened since she had woken up, she was having difficulty remembering anything, let alone the place she had come from…so long ago, it seemed. Had it been a __nice place? She didn't seem to think so…she tried to remember._

_Laughter._

_That was wrong. Her past had not been a happy one, she was sure of that. She tried to remember it more precisely; who had been laughing? A child? She didn't know how she knew that a c__hild should laugh; it seemed to appear in her mind, like clouds late in the day. Clouds? Day? Where were these memories coming from? She focused her thoughts again, remembering…_

_Maniacal Laughter._

_Dark Rooms._

_Sharp Tools._

_A Bright Operating Theater._

_A dark__, clinical Voice. "Dissect the most recent failure. Find out why it was unsuccessful, and integrate the solutions into the next prototype. Also, inspect this one in particular…my subordinate seems to have developed a particular attachment to it." A touch o__f amusement colored the voice, but it still sounded oddly cruel. "She's been calling it…Amaya. A-may-a. Heh. If it doesn't follow the highest standards of development, dissect it as well, it would be interesting to know what is causing that attraction…"_

_Op__ening her eyes with a gasp, Amaya returned to the world of night._

"_I was called…Amaya!"_

_The woman glanced back at her, the sides of her eyes crinkling as if she was smiling beneath the fabric._

"_Very good. Now, please be quiet; it is difficult to complete __this phase of your return."_

"_Wait!" Amaya cut her off, her voice frantic, "You can't send be back there!"_

_The woman's eyes darted to hers. "Why?"_

"_I think...I think they were going to dissect me. If that is where I came from…I can't go back. __They'll...he'll find me, and kill me…" The memories came back, faster and faster. All were dominated by the one man, skin as pale as milk, teeth dark gold, mouth set in a perpetual sneer._

_The woman's eyes were troubled as she regarded the dark haired youth__._

"_And yet, you cannot remain here. To do so would be certain death, even if you were to be protected by someone such as myself; I cannot keep my guard up forever. I must eat, and sometimes I desire sleep. You would be no safer in the Human world, either; __Soul Society has hollow detection systems placed across the entire globe, and if you are correct about them looking for you, then any one of those hollow detectors could be turned to find you. I must think about this...but we have little time..."_

_She gazed__ off into space, as if she was looking into another world; she was looking into her memories, Amaya realized, much like she had done, moments before._

_As the woman looked into space, Amaya looked over the lumpy clothing covering her body; beneath it, she se__emed somehow deformed. She noticed that her right arm seemed oddly shaped; it was hidden beneath her robes, but it seemed…longer, and thicker than was normal for an arm. As she watched it, something leaked out from where it was, and slid down her robe, bef__ore finally slipping out the bottom. Some sort of liquid? As she watched, the liquid floated up beside the woman's head, and began to spin absently, making small knots and whorls, almost as if the woman wasn't even thinking about it._

_It seemed almost like __what a normal person might do; almost like she was twiddling her thumbs. But what was it? It was…she peered closer…huh?_

"_Water?" _

_The woman's eyes __snapped__ open, as she looked up at the water that was floating just above her head._

"_Of course. It...might wor__k!"_

_Spinning to Amaya, she nodded her head, "Thank you. I might not have remembered that I could do this otherwise. In this world, there is little use for such a technique…"_

_Her eyes were glowing with excitement, the first time Amaya had seen anything but __a somber expression in them._

"_Do you trust me?"_

_The question was abrupt, and unexpected. She had known this woman for all of ten minutes, how could she trust her?_

_But then again…she had claimed to have taken care of her for a week as she slept. And she had__n't eaten her…she wasn't even sure that she was a hollow any more. At this point, she didn't see how she had any choice._

"_Y-yes."_

_The woman's __frame shook__, like she was laughing beneath her robe._

"_...Then you are a step closer to victory. I am going__ to change you…and help you." She walked towards Amaya, until she was just a step away from her; the floating ribbon of water followed her like a dog._

_As if obeying some unspoken command, the water darted in front of Amaya, smoothing into a__flawless__ orb._

"_If you trust me…step into the water."_

_Amaya looked at her for a long moment, and then back at the globe of water. Without this woman, she would be dead…with nothing to lose, and her word given, Amaya took a deep breath and stepped forward. _

"_If they se__e you, they be able to identify you__…if they recognize you.__" The woman said, somehow still audible through the water, now spinning faster and faster, "To identify one by one's reiastu is difficult at best; even moreso over time. To identify by appearances takes m__erely a glance. I can remove that problem. You will stand above others…but they should never suspect you are the same girl that fled to this land of dreams, Hueco Mundo."_

_Faster and faster, the water spun around her head, and her entire face and scalp bega__n to tingle, and then to burn…and then with another flash, the water blasted off as steam, rising up into the air._

"_Ah…it has been so long, I did not know that it would work. Your trust was well founded, girl, but perhaps too easily given. Be sure to lose __that attitude once you enter Soul Society, or it will surely be your death."_

_She turned away, and held her hands in front of her horizontally. Darkness pooled between then, as a sound of wind grew stronger...and she made a tearing motion with her hands, c__reating a sound like an amplifier gone badly, and between her hands was the space between worlds._

"_This is your portal home. Go quickly." Her voice echoed with command, and Amaya unthinkingly stepped toward it, but stopped a step away. For a moment, she co__nsidered asking why she was helping her, but then decided on a simpler question._

"_What—what is your name?"_

_The woman looked at her, their eyes at the same level, her eyes shining seriously._

"_I suppose…I could tell you."_

_These words seemed to echo with __meaning._

"_Before I do, I want to tell you what you have done for me; before you appeared on my path, I wanted to put those principles I told you about into action…wanted to so much, but I never could find the strength, or subdue the fear, to do anything ab__out them._

"_But you have shown me that I am capable of tending to you and others like you; if there is one helpless bird out there, there must be more. I have the power to not fear anything anymore. From now on, I will not feed anymore. I will search for th__ose birds, and I will shelter them, and we shall bind our strengths together, and perhaps, one day, we will be equals, just like I know that one day you and I will be._

"_You have helped me to leave the mindless race I have despised for so many years, and fo__r that, I will tell you my name."_

"_I am known as Tia Harribel."_

"_Remember that name, Amaya; if you ever are in desperate need, find your way to Hueco Mundo and call it out, and no matter how far it is, I will come to your aid. There may be other broken bir__ds in this dark land, but you were my first, and for that you will always have a special place in my heart."_

_Her eyes smiled, and she reached out with her hand, gently stroking the corner of Amaya's face, before finally stepping back._

"_Now, go. This gargan__ta is attracting hollows from far and wide, they will be here soon. Just know that one day, we will meet again. I will wait for that day…"_

_She faded off, her eyes conveying warmth and reassurance._

"_But until then, _go! _I will only be able to maintain a soli__d path for you for a short while! Go!_"

_For the first time she could remember, Amaya looked fully into the woman's face, and Smiled. And as she smiled, it felt like a ray of sunshine penetrated into her soul._

_And then she turned, and dove into the portal. _

_For nearly three long minutes she rode on the currents and eddies of the spirit pressure within, before finally she exploded into the world beyond; falling from the sky, she tumbled into a pile of crates, sending splinters flying. Immediately she was on h__er feet again, stumbling from the alley, ignoring the looks of those around her, making her way through the streets until she found a small fountain from which she eagerly drank, bending over to bring her head close to the water... and then looking uncompr__ehendingly at the locks of hair that trailed into the fountain._

_What is this…?_

_She waited breathlessly as the waters became smooth again…and finally she saw the gift the Woman had given her. The shape of her face was unchanged; everything else, though, was__ different. Where once her eyes had been a dark black-green, now they were a vibrant ice blue; where her hair had been almost the same shade of bland brown as wet mud, it was now as white as fresh snow. And her skin now glowed with a dark luster; it seemed__ as if she had been exposed under a week's sun. Except this tan, she somehow knew, would not fade with time._

_The Woman had been right; no one would ever recognize her as the same Amaya that had existed before. For the first time in her life, she was _free. _She had been given a new start._

_Glancing up into the sky, a bright blue that she only had seen so long ago, she murmured her thanks to her far away rescuer; "Thank you…Tia Harribel."_

* * *

><p>Waking, Amaya looked up at the ceiling above her. The memories had been so vivid, she for a moment wondered what she was doing, and where she was.<p>

Seconds later, all the following memories rushed back; how she had enrolled in the shinigami academy, how she had graduated, how she became stronger, waiting for the friends that never came. And finally, the assignment to the reserves.

Could these be the friends she spoke of, she wondered? Or were they enemies? She had had so many enemies, and so few friends.

But somehow, these ones felt different. For the first time in many years, she felt a faint sliver of hope.

Was it possible?

Only time would tell.

Rolling over, Amaya closed her eyes once again, and drifted into a quieter slumber.

The next morning, it had faded once again into the quiet darkness of memory.

O

O

_T__hanks for Reading._


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